The Exorcism Of Susan By The Young Piyush Jindal

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The Exorcism Of Susan By The Young Piyush Jindal

By: Anantha :+: Under: Brown in America, Culture, History, Jindal, Media Watch, Religion
On: ⋅ June 12, 2008 ⋅

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Via Boing Boing comes this amazing story about dark forces and spiritual healing, an incident that will be out of place on a Twilight Zone script. And we, at UberDesi would not have even batted an eyelid, if not for the fact that the main protagonist in question was our own Bobby. No, not that Bhabhi (Hate to disappoint you, Amit!), but the Bobby who occupies the gubernatorial mansion in Baton Rouge.

Piyush Jindal’s faithful following of the Catholic Church is no news. But it appears he has had one more job title in his resume - Exorcist/Spiritual Warrior. Even this piece of news seems to be dated (the Daily Kos talked about it way back in ‘03), though it has recently gained more newsprint space because of the Veep rumors (one of UD’s own actually pencilled in “Bobby for Veep back in April, albeit in a lighter vein).

As this article in Talking Points Memo says,

But Jindal’s battle with the dark forces may become an issue should his Veep candidacy proceed. While it’s hardly a blockbuster revelation, it could provide fodder for bloggers and late-night comics to turn his candidacy into a media sideshow.

And since it seems to have missed the attention of the desi media, we are more than happy to oblige.

So, back to Bobby’s moonlighting as an exorcist. Writing in the New Oxford Review in ‘94, in an article (a excerpt available here) titled “Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare”, Jindal describes an incident involving a lady friend that he was involved with in a non-physical, almost romantic way.

Susan and I had developed an intimate friendship; indeed, our relationship mystified observers, who insisted on finding a romantic component where none existed.

How cute is that! These Amrikkans will never understand the desi way. We wait and we wait and we wait… till we can no longer do it.

Wait, the plotline gets better. In a plot twist straight out of a Ramsay brothers production, it turns out that “Susan” was possessed and often surrounded with sulphuric smells. So at some point during/after a prayer meeting, Jindal and his friends get working.

The students, led by Susan’s sister and Louise, a member of a charismatic church, engaged in loud and desperate prayers while holding Susan with one hand. Kneeling on the ground, my friends were chanting, “Satan, I command you to leave this woman.” Others exhorted all “demons to leave in the name of Christ.” It is no exaggeration to note the tears and sweat among those assembled. Susan lashed out at the assembled students with verbal assaults.

During this attempt to fight Satan and beat the demon back to where he came from, Susan attempted to escape and was pinned down and restrained. And the exorcism continued with renewed strength.

Almost taunting the evil spirit that had almost beaten us minutes before, the students dared Susan to read biblical passages. She choked on certain passages and could not finish the sentence “Jesus is Lord.” Over and over, she repeated “Jesus is L..L..LL,” often ending in profanities.

And then, there was light.

With an almost comical smile, Susan then looked up as if awakening from a deep sleep and asked, “Has something happened?” She did not remember any of the past few hours and was startled to find her friends breaking out in cheers and laughter, overwhelmed by sudden joy and relief.

The scorecard that day read, Bobby and Co. - 1, Satan - 0. Take that, you old serpent! And that was not all. It turns out that Susan had been diagnosed with skin cancer and Jindal writes that he believed that the touch of God during the exorcism had cured her of her cancer too.

Of course while we are not atheists here at UD, we do draw the line at exorcisms. Seriously, this post is not an attempt to poke fun at Jindal’s devotion to God and/or the Catholic Church. His religious affiliations are of no importance to this blogger.

However we believe that, in a modern world that attempts to rationalize everything, his related beliefs in the paranormal and the supernatural surely bear some importance and deserve to be parodied.

Discussion

14 comments for “The Exorcism Of Susan By The Young Piyush Jindal”

1: Santosh | June 12, 2008, 12:42 pm | Direct Link

“Susan” was possessed and often surrounded with sulphuric smells

Ha ha that just sounds plain nasty.

2: Santosh | June 12, 2008, 1:13 pm | Direct Link

Actually if Bobby becomes VP, that would be a good thing for India-US relations. Him and the Indian President can communicate on a supernatural plane of their own.

3: Runa | June 12, 2008, 3:07 pm | Direct Link

Anantha - thanks!
If I had any lingering guilt about not being rah -rah for the first Indian American governor - this dispels it completely.

At least he did not hit her with a Jhadoo( broom) desi tantrik style

4: Sidhu | June 12, 2008, 3:40 pm | Direct Link

I didn’t check the external links, but was hoping for a punchline like an April fool’s day or something at the end. Unbelievable, oh wait, Bobby is the governor of Louisiana, so I think I’m not too surprised now!

5: daycruz | June 12, 2008, 4:44 pm | Direct Link

So.. where is the part where Bobby did something? I guess he was the leader because he observed something happening and wrote about it. And I love your tolerance of something that you know very little about. I find that stuff as crazy as the next guy, but why do his beliefs on exorcism need to be parodied any more than any theist beliefs. Parody both equally.

6: Anantha | June 12, 2008, 4:59 pm | Direct Link

but why do his beliefs on exorcism need to be parodied any more than any theist beliefs. Parody both equally.

Daycruz: Our core competency is weird desi customs like like people marrying canines or trees, or gods becoming heads of business schools. I admit this is the first time we have actually parodied an exorcism. I am sorry if it does not pass muster.

And ya, please do visit again.

7: daycruz | June 12, 2008, 5:02 pm | Direct Link

yo yo chill, i was just sayin’ is all. I know you probably don’t like Bobby very much but I’m just saying from what you excerpted there, he actually didn’t do anything.

8: Santosh | June 12, 2008, 5:02 pm | Direct Link

Daycruz,

How would you ask the monkey god for a raise? Barter with bananas?

Your quote on your website.
Since you speak of equality, since you’ve parodied the Hanuman story on your blog, perhaps you should parody Jindal’s exorcism story also on your website

9: Anantha | June 12, 2008, 5:07 pm | Direct Link

I know you probably don’t like Bobby very much

Daycruz: Wrong again. Also I can’t quote his complete article here. I quoted what directly aided my parody. It’s my duty as a blogger to convert everything into a sideshow.

Jokes apart, from what I have read from my sources, he was very much a part of it. And besides, even if he was not, I would find it alarming if he even just thought that the girl was cured of cancer after the exorcism. And it appears that the fact that he believes it, is true.

I quote one of the articles that I have linked above,

And not only did they cast out the supernatural spirit that had possessed his friend, Jindal wrote that he believes that their ritual may well have cured her cancer.

10: daycruz | June 12, 2008, 5:09 pm | Direct Link

Thanks for visiting! I think you’re like the second person that’s been to my site other than myself. All I’m saying is, what did Bobby do during the exorcism? The mere fact he was there means he was a collaborator? And I still think the Hanuman thing is hilarious. I guess you could say making Hanuman your Chairman is the same thing as an exorcism…. I guess you could say that.. It would be wrong but you could say that. Please go back and read what I said. I said you should parody both the belief in God and exorcisms equally. Not Hinduism and Christianity. God knows we have enough Christians who parody Christianity. I hope I made myself clear.

11: Anantha | June 12, 2008, 5:15 pm | Direct Link

Daycruz: Make that three. I, as the blogger who saw this story and posted about here, am not saying anything apart from the fact that, a man who could *possibly* govern the US, god forbid, if something happens to McCain, if McCain becomes President, could believe the exorcising demons also cures skin cancer. From that thread, started this post. And yes, he was a collaborator and from the excerpt of his own article, it seems the was a willing/believing participant, if not the instigator.

12: daycruz | June 12, 2008, 6:11 pm | Direct Link

I guess we would have to just disagree then. But I’m sorry that my first comment on this blog had to be a negative one. I really do like your site. I haven’t been here before. I think I’ll stick around.

I also understand that as a blogger you’re going to find people who misunderstand what you are trying to say or do, so I appreciate your concern in trying to make me understand. Hmm.. What else did I wanna say? I guess nothing.. I just like to hear myself talk.

Take care. Feel free to come back and visit my blog.

13: Santosh | June 12, 2008, 8:45 pm | Direct Link

Daycruz,
I think the Hanuman story is hilarious, so is the Jindal one. I don’t see a difference between the two because its just people behaving irrationally or saying irrational things.
Appreciate your comments.

14: Vinod Sharma | June 25, 2008, 9:53 pm | Direct Link

So, Louisiana has an ‘Ojha’ as governor! For those who might not know,’ojha’ is a term used in illiterate rural North India to describe those who claim that they can exorcise evil spirits,called bhoot and pret in Hindi.

May be the US needs a ghost buster after the
‘possessed’ terms of Bush!

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