We, A Gullible People..!
We are a gullible people, aren’t we? Not because we are unintelligent. Far from it. Indians can run global companies, head international banks, become scientists, doctors, engineers and professors all over the world. But strangely, when it comes to politics and public life, we often become willing victims of bluff….
A National Cheating Tutorial..!
“When did cheating become clever?” I asked a friend the other day. “Since winning became more important than honour,” he replied. And that answer has stayed with me. I watched the Tamil Nadu political drama unfolding and wondered what exactly is happening to our democracy. The Governor’s post was never…
The Slow Death of Enterprise…!
“Anything free this election?” a fictitious friend asks me, leaning forward with the eagerness of a man about to win a lucky draw. “Quite a bit,” I tell him. “In fact, so much that you may soon wonder why anyone ever thought of working.” He nods thoughtfully. Because that is…
The Great Election Religion Tamasha…!
“Who are you voting for?” he asked me with great seriousness, as though the future of the nation rested delicately between his teacup and my answer. “I was thinking,” I said, “of voting for whoever will stop the unnecessary concretising down my road.” He looked at me with pity. Not…
Crying Wolf Too Often..!
We all know the fable about the shepherd boy. He rushes into town shouting that wolves are attacking his sheep. The villagers drop their work, run to help, and find they have been fooled. He does it again. Same drama. Same deception. Then comes the day a real wolf attacks….
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.