Somewhere in Mumbai, a man collapses on a crowded railway platform. Thousands hurry past because the 8.43 fast local is more important than a human being. In Bengaluru, a delivery rider lies bleeding after an accident while motorists carefully steer around him as though he were just another pothole. Somebody…
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…
Blood in a Mumbai Local…!
I think Indian Railways should immediately introduce one more announcement on Mumbai’s suburban trains. “Dear passengers, please avoid asking anybody to close the train door. You may lose your life.” Absurd? Not anymore. There was a time when boarding a Mumbai local meant risking a squashed foot, a torn shirt,…
The Impossible Dream..!
A very close friend messaged me yesterday after reading my column. “Bob,” he said, “your solutions to problems sound like impossible dreams. You paint pictures of a world that can never exist.” Then, in good natured humour, he compared me to the famous dreamer, Don Quixote. Most of us remember…
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…
His Motivational Speaker…!
The fellow swept into the hotel lobby looking as though he had just bought the place. Immaculate designer suit. Gold watch the size of a wall clock. Shoes polished so brightly I could almost see my future in them. Behind him trailed two assistants carrying his laptop, projector and what…
Which Party Am I in Today?
Don’t be surprised if this is a scene you soon witness somewhere in our country. A huge political rally is in progress. Loudspeakers are blaring, party workers are waving flags with religious devotion, television cameras are focused on the stage, and thousands wait for the newest political convert to address…
Just Walk..!
The disciples were battling a storm on the Sea of Galilee when they saw a figure walking towards them on the water. Terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. Then came the reassuring voice of Jesus. “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” Peter, never one to…
Collateral Damage..!
This morning I witnessed a uniquely Indian engineering philosophy. It is called, “If something else breaks while doing the job, that is somebody else’s problem.” The tree cutters arrived to remove a dried junglee neem tree behind my house. I watched them with interest, expecting chainsaws, careful measurements, helmets and…
Arresting the Rogue Captains..!
Every few months we are treated to the same political circus. A party wins an election. Voters celebrate. Defeated parties lick their wounds. Commentators analyse the verdict. Then, just when everyone thinks the story is over, the real entertainment begins. MLAs and MPs suddenly develop what can only be described…
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.