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…
Hanging Photos and Broken Statues..!
Government offices in one western state in our country have reportedly been instructed to display photographs not only of the Chief Minister but also of his two deputies. I immediately felt sorry for the poor government officer. Where, I wondered, will he put the photograph of his wife and children?…
Air India Building and Government Babus..!
There are some views in Mumbai that should come with an entrance fee. Marine Drive at sunset. The Gateway standing proudly against the sea. And the magnificent view from the iconic Air India building. You stand there, look out over the Arabian Sea, and immediately feel capable of earning another…
Storytelling Competition..!
There is a storytelling competition going on across the world. Not in schools. Not in literary festivals. Not even in bookstores. This one is far more exciting. Because, the prize is total destruction. The contestants are not authors like me, sitting at desks with cups of coffee beside them. They…
Speaking of Dad..!
Something I have noticed over the years has always puzzled me. People love talking about God after He has done something for them. A man gets a promotion and immediately stands up in church and says, “Praise God, He gave me a better job.” A woman recovers from illness and…
The Missing Instruction Manual..!
Last week I bought a small microphone. Nothing complicated. A simple gadget that helped transfer my stage whispers and soft asides to the recording machine. When I opened the box, out fell an instruction manual as thick as a doctoral thesis. There were warnings, diagrams, troubleshooting charts, maintenance schedules, and…
Gratitude Heals the Past..!
Some people seem to carry the past around like an old suitcase. The suitcase is torn, the handle is broken, and the contents smell musty, but they refuse to put it down. Every now and then they open it, pull out an old hurt, dust it lovingly, and tell everybody…
A Black James Bond..!
I have been following the debate about who should be the next James Bond, and one name keeps popping up like an unwanted advertisement on YouTube. Idris Elba. Every few months somebody says, “He should be Bond!” Then somebody else says, “No, he shouldn’t!” Then a third person writes a…
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.