A couple of years ago, I was asked to conduct a wedding. Now I’m no priest, but since the couple was made up of a Buddhist and a Christian and had already had a registered wedding, I was asked to conduct a mixed wedding service, so I did just that….
A God who Weeps..!
There are many who ask, why our God in the form of Jesus, needed to live on earth, be born to a poor family, go through joys and sorrows, rejection, and acceptance, and all the other highs and lows of human existence. “God didn’t have to do that!” they exclaim….
The Activist and the Earthworms..!
Today, the activist label is beginning to have a bad meaning. Anyone who sees something wrong and decides to right that wrong is labelled an activist and dealt with severely, which inspired me to write about this suburb somewhere in Mumbai, where locals get up early so they can take…
Parliamentary Banter..!
T’was friendly banter taking place twixt the new Parliament building and the old one, as they stood opposite each other, one empty and about to be converted into a museum and the other spilling with elected members, joyous over their new structure. “So Oldy, you are over and done with!”…
Bartering with God..!
Very often I pass church, temple or mosque and see crowds outside. Initially I used to think that God must be so pleased to have so many worshipping him, till I realized very few came to worship, most came to barter with him, “God, please give me a promotion, and…
Policing the Left Side Only..!
After most cases of rape, assaults, kidnapping, or any crime, what one hears so often is the police station refusing to register a complaint because it is not in their area! “Police! Police! Quick, run after the thief. I was assaulted and robbed!” “Where were you assaulted?” asks the inspector,…
The True Meaning Of Peace..!
At present in the city of Mumbai, a long flyover or viaduct nearly four and a half kilometers in length runs along the length of Mohammed Ali Road. The drive is smooth and swift, but many years ago before the flyover was built it was not so, and the road…
The One Activity Club..!
’Twas last evening I got inspired to write this piece after a call from a member of a religious organization asking for my financial support for the one activity they have every year. We always look at the Parable of the Talents, and think of individuals, who do not make…
Big Bike, Big Noise..!
Every day around the time I start writing this column, I hear a loud sound like rolling thunder. The first day I thought the army was sending tanks after me, about something I’d written, and shook with fear, till my wife said it was okay, and it was just our…
Saldana..!
That night a watchman was asleep! I remember that night many years ago! I woke him up harshly; he stumbled to his feet, a seventy year old, who should have been resting at home with his feet up, but now still working to support his wife. “What’s your name?” I…
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.