ST, SC and Benefits for the Poor..!
The recent Supreme Court judgment that Christians cannot be classified as Scheduled Castes has stirred many emotions. I read the verdict with sadness, but not because I believe the Court was wrong. In fact, the Court merely interpreted the Constitution as it stands. Scheduled Caste status was originally created to…
NEET Justice and Our Mercy..!
The pictures were heartbreaking. Young boys and girls stood outside NEET examination centres with tears streaming down their faces. Some stared helplessly at closed gates. Others pleaded with folded hands. Parents looked equally shattered. Years of preparation, sleepless nights, coaching classes, sacrifices, and dreams seemed to vanish in a few…
Hanging Photos and Broken Statues..!
Government offices in one western state in our country have reportedly been instructed to display photographs not only of the Chief Minister but also of his two deputies. I immediately felt sorry for the poor government officer. Where, I wondered, will he put the photograph of his wife and children?…
Air India Building and Government Babus..!
There are some views in Mumbai that should come with an entrance fee. Marine Drive at sunset. The Gateway standing proudly against the sea. And the magnificent view from the iconic Air India building. You stand there, look out over the Arabian Sea, and immediately feel capable of earning another…
Flooded Subway and Bullet Train Talk..!
Over thirty-five years ago, on a dark and stormy Bombay night, I took what seemed an innocent right turn into the Andheri Subway. It turned out to be a swimming pool. The rain was pouring down. Visibility was poor. Before I knew it, my faithful Fiat 118NE was floating where…
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.