The door of my room opened and a tiny pair of feet pattered in. I was writing an article on my laptop, as my two-year-old grandchild popped into the room, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Bobby!” she called out, and oh yes dear folks, I’ve given her full permission to…
Robert Clements is a journalist and newspaper columnist. With an estimated 6 million readership, his column, Bob’s Banter is published in over 30 newspapers and magazines in nearly every state in India, as well as in the top newspapers of Bangladesh, London and Dubai and is also translated into Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
Oh Happy Day Tony..!
Some sing a song, some live it. Tony Davids did both. If you ever had the privilege of hearing him sing Oh Happy Day, you would have closed your eyes, felt his voice and the music seep into your soul, and, for a moment, believed you were in heaven itself. But…
Washing or Kissing Feet..!
Last evening, due to unavoidable circumstances I had to attend a political meeting of a top leader in the ruling party. I watched in absolute horrified fascination, as the man literally like a Tarzan in a a comic book, stared disdainfully at the crowd, waved his hands, thumped his chest,…
Musk Jr. In the White House..!
Ah, the White House! The seat of power and dignity. Where presidents pause before every syllable, where journalists cross their legs like they belong to a ballet troupe, and where historical furniture sits with the silent patience of a butler who has seen it all—until, of course, Elon Musk’s toddler…
A Real Women’s Day Gift..!
The morning papers headlined PM Modi’s latest announcement, of handing over his social media accounts to women on Women’s Day, March 8. Sounds like a grand gesture, doesn’t it? A modern-day digital chariot ride for women achievers, paraded before millions of followers. But before we break into applause, let’s pause…
A Divine Recruitment Drive..!
I had a chat with God. Yes, you heard right—God! Now, before you call the psychiatrist on my behalf, let me clarify: it was an imaginary spiritual conversation, one of those deep, soul-searching moments that leave you rattled like a Bollywood hero after discovering he’s been adopted in the third…
A Five-Star Jacuzzi..!
Wow! Haven’t we as a nation mastered the art of pretending normalcy? You know, that art of putting on a straight face and saying, “Everything’s fine!” Even when our world is going up in flames? It’s like we are in a small boat in the middle of a storm, and…
Admit When Wrong..!
One night while watching George C. Scott acting as a New York cop in an old movie my thoughts went back many decades when dad had taken my brother and me to see the movie ‘Patton.’ I hero worshipped the General as he won battle after battle for the allied…
Divide Them-You Fall..!
As I hear about roads being renamed and unjust laws being passed, let it be noted, there’s a curious thing about governments that thrive on dividing people: they rarely survive long enough to enjoy the fruits of their mischief. History has a knack for toppling rulers who think they can…
Tapping and Nudging..!
Something that happens during our wet monsoons is the stubborn defiance of jammed doors, unyielding windows, and cupboard drawers with an attitude that could put the most obstinate of politicians to shame. We pull, push, heave, haul, and hoist, only to be met with rigid resistance, quite akin to an…
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.