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 Teleprompter That Answers Questions…!
There was a time when leaders loved press conferences. They stood proudly behind microphones, smiled confidently at reporters and answered questions with the enthusiasm of students who had actually studied for the exam. Today, press conferences have become like surprise dental appointments. Nobody wants to attend them. Which brings me…
Are You A Wright Senior?
I have noticed something very strange about senior level leaders. The higher they rise in office, the lower their willingness to learn becomes. A young trainee attends every seminar eagerly with notebook in hand. A middle manager attends because attendance is compulsory. A senior executive attends only if there is…
Come Join Us..!
Quite often at parties, just when people are balancing plates of kebabs, laughing loudly, and trying not to spill soft drinks on expensive sarees, somebody suddenly shouts across the room, “Bob, will you say a prayer?” Immediately there is silence. The music volume drops. People straighten themselves as if God…
How We Love to Exclude..!
How we love excluding people. Everywhere I go I see signs that politely, firmly, and sometimes proudly keep people out. “For Members Only.” “Residents Only.” “Parking for Office Bearers.” “Private Function.” And the more exclusive the place, the bigger the smile on the face of the person who belongs inside….
Umpires and Election Commissioners..!
Imagine a cricket match where only one team is allowed to choose the umpire. The other team can complain. They can object. But finally the decision rests with that one team. Would we call that cricket? Not for one second. Television commentators would explode with outrage. Former cricketers would hold…
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly..!
Last evening I went to watch The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with two younger friends. Three men walking into a theatre as though we ourselves had just ridden in from the Wild West. I looked carefully at my companions before entering. One of them had paid for the…
Worldly Success and a Successful Coach..!
My father died around twenty-five years ago. Strange how fathers become clearer after they leave. While they are alive, we are too busy arguing with them, avoiding them, or pretending we know better. But after they are gone, their voices quietly return. Sometimes in the middle of a conversation. Sometimes…
Personal and Public Life..!
“His personal life has nothing to do with his politics!” I have heard that sentence shouted with great confidence whenever a politician is caught in some scandal involving affairs, dishonesty, manipulation, or questionable behaviour. And every time I hear it, I wonder whether we have all quietly lost our common…
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…
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.