Everyday I watch as a very thin mother carries her school going child to the bus stop. “Can’t she walk?” I asked, fearing there was a problem with the little one’s legs. “She’s very sleepy,” explained the mother. I had thought when the child passed to a higher class this…
How To Be Secular..!
Many in our country are afraid of being called secular. Does it mean anti Hindu, anti Muslim, does it mean pro minority? Strangely a similar situation exists in America. The USA like ours, and unlike the UK, is a secular country, but for nearly three centuries, Christian thought in all…
Never Too Old to Dream..!
I’d always wanted to start my own advertising firm, and when I set it up a few years ago, many told me I should have done so when I was younger. For me it was not too late to dream and make it a success. An old couple stopped by…
The Army and Abide With Me..!
A few years ago, I had the privilege of being the MC for the annual Navy Week in Mumbai, and later it was on the lawns of Navy House, I was introduced to the Vice Admiral. “Thank you for your wonderful emceeing you did, and also for the piece you…
Politicians: The Best of The Worst..!
As our newspapers are filled with more and more politicians waiting to be heard, here are a few witty words on politics and the politician: Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other….
Faith, Family and Fearlessness..!
Nearly a decade ago, my dear friend, Father Lancy Pinto fr om St Xavier’s, allowed me to interview his mother who was turning hundred, and today I thought it would be helpful to all of us, recalling the moments I spent with her: I remember the day when Lucy Pinto…
Cutting Off Tongues..!
I looked at the banners I was making: We want Freedom of speech! We want Freedom to Speak! We want Freedom of Expression! All banners for the next march, morcha or protest against the government. Then I heard a sound and from across my room heard muffled sobs and saw…
Looking At Old Photos.!
We all love looking at old photos don’t we? We show our set of old snaps to all and sundry, maybe trying to tell people we were once young and innocent and good looking! The worst is when someone looks at an old pic of you and says, “You looked…
Senior Citizens Are Not Senior Enough..!
Very often nowadays I hear people I know quite well, exclaiming they are senior citizens. It’s as if they have suddenly come to a chasm, jumped the other side, and are qualified to call themselves so. I hear it so often, it has begun to quite amuse me, especially the…
Experience Silence and Feel Alive..!
The other day when I went onto the treadmill, I was asked why I didn’t play music while exercising and realized quite often I prefer silence! The world today hates silence: In fact, I’m beginning to think, people are scared of silence. There was a time I traveled by the…
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.