Most Loathsome People of India 2009
Wednesday, 16. December 2009 - 2:24 AM
It’s that time of the year again. You might want to check where and how it all started or simply scan the awardees that made it to the 2008 list. Presenting the Most Loathsome People of India circa 2009. Truth be told, the folks who made it this year fiercely vied with each other in loathsomeness and except in very few cases, it was hard to award a rightful place to those who made to the list.
Another pain point was there were just too many contenders, each outclassing the other. To avoid the risk of expanding the list beyond managable proportions, I’ve restricted it to just 12. There was so much loathsomeness this year that lots of people ranked pretty much equally on all parameters of loathsomeness. I had to use a new parameter: uniqueness, or that one factor that put a certain person over and above his/her contender. From this perspective, it is unsurprising that this year’s list of the Most Loathsome People of India consists almost entirely of new people.
Here you go.
Vishnu Som: A real gatecrasher. With exactly one comment regarding the fundamental threat to Indian Muslims. To his credit, he did try to explain at great length how his “fundamental threat” comment was justified but we wish he applied logic instead of psychology, various mindbends, and an inexplicable concern for the tender feelings of Muslims.
Sentence: Mandatory reading of Logic 101 till he scores 100/100.
Vir Sanghvi: My new-found Guru, and mentor for dishing out an unwelcome dose of nauseating secular sanctimony. Not that he hasn’t done this before but there’s a difference in this piece: he explicitly targets a generation of “young readers . mystified by the fuss and annoyed by the refusal of journos to tell them what it was all about.” An open proclamation that the idea is to brainwash these young readers with secular falsehood. His choice of words is equally revealing: the Ayodhya issue is a fuss. He’s right in a way…to a person engrossed in culinary explorations, issues of long term civilizational impact do sound like a “fuss.”
Sentence: Eat until death.
USCIRF: The pontificating–in many ways, literally–quidnunc for displaying exemplary shamelessness in its “report.” For the last time, set your house in order first. At the moment, nothing is going right for you. We’ve survived greater challenges over a few thousand years. We don’t need your idea of religious freedom and related nonsense. Plus, we know the exact nature of the dung that you were fed with.
Sentence: Replace the existing members of the USCIRF with the members of the Saudi royal family.
Mahesh Bhatt: For his successful debut as an actor in real life. Looks like his insane histrionics worked. There’s no trace of news of this Rahul Bhatt guy now. When reports last came in, Mahesh Bhatt was using every trick in the book–including pressurizing senior police officers to nudge-nudge wink-wink. And this is from the same filmmaker whose movies contain elaborate sermonizing on ethics and crime and “human nature” and society and religion and secularism. Ok the last word explains why Mahesh Bhatt made it to this list.
Sentence: Lock him up in a room and make him watch Saatwaan Aasmaan on endless loop at gunpoint.
Nisha Susan: For pushing an already-dirty public morality deeper into the gutters that our urban youth revel in confusing it for paradise courtesy the Pink Panties “campaign.” Hypothetically, we’d like to know if she’d send pink panties to her parents if they objected to her going to a pub. But then she works amidst a certain brand of liberal people who hold different standards for panties and burqas.
Sentence: Compulsory washing of other people’s underwear for a year wearing a burqa while she’s washing the underwear.
Y S Rajashekhara Reddy: For showing what he’d exactly done to Andhra Pradesh. His chronicles of misdeeds is as gory as it is voluminous. That his death was an eye-opener is an understatement. In a way, it’s a pity that it required his death to open the lid off the murky dealings of the Congress “YSR” party in Andhra Pradesh. An email that was doing rounds a few months ago showed that his combined worth is upwards a few thousand crores.
Sentence: You can’t sentence a dead man.
Kancha Ilaiah: Another gatecrasher who suddenly soared to popularity thanks to our braindead media, which thinks it’s ok to pit a pig against Hindu causes as long as the pig emits appropriate amounts of anti-Hindu stink. This parasite has mooched taxpayer money throughout his despicable career as an academic among other things, and his capacity for harm, given a chance, is incredible.
Sentence: Compulsory reading of the Bhagavad Gita for the rest of his life.
Wendy Doniger: Strictly speaking, she’s not an Indian but she rammed her way through to this Hall of Shame with her latest sex fantasy-fiction about the lurid lives of the Hindus. Her Freudian sex-obsession is equally matched by a variant of McCarthyism. In her sex-fantasy world, the only job of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and sages is to have sex and more sex and more and more sex in different forms and with different men and women. And we only have her word as the proof of that. Anybody who questions her word is a deadly right-wing Hindutva communalist. We only need to figure out what she was deprived of in childhood to understand her “writing.” Welcome, Prof Wendy.
Sentence: Psychoanalyzed by Steve Farmer and Michael Witzel.
Sudheendra Kulkarni: For singlehandedly shoving the BJP’s electoral fortunes down the drain. You only need one man of his calibre to make sure that you’re decimated without a trace. His election “strategy” is a study in stupidity. Equally, his desertion of the party to don a plush job is study in charlatanism.
Sentence: Sculpt a statue of Mamta Banerjee or lose your job.
Rahul Gandhi: For giving us regular Glimpses of the Future History of India under his reins. From performing repeated faux pas and scoring self goals at the hands of the media and university students who’ve been led to believe in the prowess of this dynamic, sexy young leader, Rahul Gandhi has accomplished tremendously. As only a functionary of the Congress party, the Crown Prince is giving us a foretaste of where he’ll take us if he becomes the Prime Minister. “Discovering” that Arunachal Pradesh is actually somewhere on the Indian map ranks as one of those accomplishments I mentioned.
Sentence: Draw a map of India and point the exact location of Arunachal Pradesh. Organize a Fake the Nation show on Congress News Network-Islamic Broadcasting Network and show the cute map to the nation.
Manmohan Singh: Who is he?
Sentence: Nothing. Really. Because he doesn’t exist.
Burkha Dutt: Zooms up from #13 to #1 this year. Her stellar performance in covering 26/11, her courageous battle with the Naval chief, and her consistent criticism of, and sending legal notices to intimidate helpless bloggers have contributed in a huge way to her success in this Hall of Shame. Not the one to rest content on past laurels, she continues to assault her yeowoman contributions to maintaining the health of Indian democracy week after week in She the People. We strongly suspect she’ll retain her #1 position when this list is drawn in 2010.
Sentence: Mute her mike each time she speaks.
Tags: Barkha Dutt, Bloggers, Blogging, Blogs, Burkha Dutt, Congress, Congress Party, Disgraceful Men & Women in Indian Public Life, India, Indian Media, Indian Politics, Mahesh Bhatt, Manmohan Singh, Media Watch, MoLo Awards 2009, Most Loathsome People In India 2009, Most Loathsome People In India 2009, MoLo Awards 2009, Disgraceful Men & Women in Indian Public Life, Pseudosecularism Hall of Shame, Indian Politics, Politics, Vile Politics, Rahul Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Congress Party, Congress, Burkha Dutt, Barkha Dutt, NDTV, Blogs, Blogging, Bloggers, Indian Media, Media Watch, Sudheendra Kulkarni, Vishnu Som, Vir Sanghvi, Wendy Doniger, USCIRF, NDTV, Nisha Susan, Pseudosecularism Hall of Shame, Rahul Gandhi, Sudheendra Kulkarni, USCIRF, Vile Politics, Vir Sanghvi, Vishnu Som, Wendy Doniger, YS Rajashekhar Reddy, YSR
16. December 2009 - 6:50 AM
Sandeep I understand that there might be far more loathsome in the “secular brigade” than elsewhere, but really can we in common sense agree that Raj Thackeray is a loathsome son of a bitch? please?
16. December 2009 - 7:07 AM
Haha
16. December 2009 - 8:44 AM
Yes, superb.
16. December 2009 - 9:09 AM
Good one! But why LK Advani is not included in this list.
16. December 2009 - 10:07 AM
I disagree with several entries.
I do not consider Vishnu Som and Vir Sanghvi as loathsome at all. Neither is a commie. They are establishment journalists, but that’s not the same thing as being a commie or Islamist.
Nisha Susan is the undergarment diva, right? She is a bit comic but it’s her handlers who are vile; not necessarily she.
Ditto Rahul Gandhi. IMO, he’s a bit like his late dad. Not inherently crooked and probably even naively well-intentioned. It’s his managers that we have to loathe.
16. December 2009 - 10:22 AM
You made my morning the best morning. I was laughing and rolling on the floor with look at the sentense of Manmohan Singh.
Sandeep, thanks a lot for the greatest ever comic relief I took!
16. December 2009 - 11:17 AM
Very much on predictable lines. A more mature mind must have listed most admirable people of India, and what to learn from them. But then it takes a deeper intellect to throw surprises, mediocre minds can do only predictable things.
Somehow this list reminds me of a story from Mahabharata, in which acharya Drona send Yudhishthira and Duryodhana to a village to find a most pious person and a most evil person. Yudhishthira comes back telling that he did not find a single evil person in the whole village. Duryodhana also comes back telling that he did not find a single pious person in the whole village.
16. December 2009 - 11:49 AM
I would like to know Mr. Anwar Shaikh’s most admirable people of 2009 ? Hope they are not the same as the ones listed as most loathsome on this list !
16. December 2009 - 11:55 AM
OT
You are being too charitable on Susan.Given the nature of her vicious campaign she is high likely to a fiercely committed Chrisist-a typical crusading foot soldier from Kerala waging a battle to rescue pagans.Launch of Pink Chaddi campaign was preceded by incidents were few pieces of real estates , allegedly described as ‘Church’ came under surveillance of vigilant natives .Resurgence of an inspired native challenge to soul harvesting project would have probably prompted Church Inc to use the faithful services of their media footsoldiers
I have followed her despicable writings over a period of time and careful reading reveals a extremely bigoted mindset that advances Chrisist agenda in a cleverly camouflaged manner
Her energies might be well served if she could help the hapless Church ladies from her own state who have been forced in to ‘Missionary Position’ (to borrow a Hitchenian Phrase).Gory sex crimes that are being committed by priests in Churches across Kerala needs to be highlighted .Gross exploition of woman need to addressed now.If Nisha Susan does that i would be inclined to give a benefit of doubt like what you did
16. December 2009 - 12:00 PM
Agree with Contemplationist
Sandeep
You should consider including Raj T in the list
16. December 2009 - 12:17 PM
Sandeep well written i would add these loathers too 1. Renuka Chowdry: For being the God Mother of Nisha Susan and give call to the ladies for Pub Baro Aaandolan 2. Raja: Telecom Minister who knows nothing but scam and escapes under the covers of PMO and caste 3.Raj Thackery for flogging a dead horse under a new form (marathi vs s.indian changed to marathi vs n.indian). 4. bellary bros: who wants to change a govt with much ease as changing a shirt. 5. iravatham mahadevan: who shielded michael witzel while he was hapless when conforonted by questions in chennai 6. Ultimate is CIA/FBI who very well knew who Headley is , still gave a free pass to him 7. Obama, another us pres ignoring india and partying with China/Pak
16. December 2009 - 12:22 PM
SB, rest assured they are not the same. However I am amused to see an ardent follower of vedanta like you to seek duality (Sandeep hates X so Anwar MUST love X) in this world.
16. December 2009 - 1:26 PM
Mr. Anwar shiek, time to “shake” off your half baked opinions about Indian dharma , ethics and various schools of thoughts on them. I sill remember you making similar half baked argument by comparing my Indian Muslim brethren to case of Karna in Mahabharata. While I welcome your anxiety to express about things like Vedanta, Dharma and Hinduism , I find it quite disappointing to see your incomplete understanding quoting things with assumed authority. Bhaavaadvaita is far superior and most recommended than kriyadvaita and I don’t see why an should advaitin shouldnt see or talk about duality.
16. December 2009 - 2:40 PM
Prachetas, you are most welcome to fully bake my half-baked knowledge about Indian dharma. Would be grateful to receive enlightenment from any quarter. Moreover I assume no authority on anything, but in true spirit of Socrates, merely question the wisdom of those who assume authority with a sincere hope of getting some enlightenment.
16. December 2009 - 2:41 PM
No Reddy Brothers?
16. December 2009 - 7:56 PM
@OT
Ditto Rahul Gandhi. IMO, he’s a bit like his late dad. Not inherently crooked and probably even naively well-intentioned. It’s his managers that we have to loathe.
Well he is just Mr. Banana like his dad :-0
How come Sashi Tharoor is not on this list? He belongs to your breed of “managers”. He is considered an “intellectual” in India. What to say? We live in times when bovines write books.
16. December 2009 - 8:40 PM
@saikh
“more mature mind must have listed most admirable people of India, and what to learn from them.”
I am curious to learn who you think are the admirable people of India? Since you claim to be a follower of Socrates, can you pray enlighten us as to who they are?
16. December 2009 - 8:42 PM
Sandeep,
I believe that the most loathsome people in India operate behind the scenes, as generally do all loathsome people who exert authority–and that there are worse people than the ones you have mentioned.
16. December 2009 - 10:33 PM
Is the writer of the following the same Nisha Susan who did the pink chaddi campaign?
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main43.asp?filename=Ne171009goodbye_to.asp
17. December 2009 - 7:22 AM
Mr. Shaik,
If many say your reply is very much on predictable lines too and does not throw surprises, how do you categorize yourself? mediocre? I believe there is nothing wrong in condemning the guilty. Why do not you go ahead and demonstrate the skills of your mature mind and come out with your list of most admirable people with reasoning, let us surely learn from them if found appropriate.
Who was your role model when you read/responded to this article? is it Duryodhana? Should be Duryodhana, since you perceived evil here, Yudhishthira would not have found evil here, am I right?
All right, surely Socrates’s spirit should inspire you to question the wisdom of people listed as loathsome by Sandeep? these people have assumed more authority than any blogger? If you have already done this as a first step before investing time in responding to a mediocre’s view, then please share the information with us and enlighten us.
I will not brand you as mediocre, but am just trying to point out my observations in your comments.
17. December 2009 - 7:29 AM
Mr. Shaik,
“Very much on predictable lines. A more mature mind must have listed most admirable people of India, and what to learn from them. But then it takes a deeper intellect to throw surprises, mediocre minds can do only predictable things.”
If many say your reply is very much on predictable lines too and does not throw surprises, how do you categorize yourself? mediocre? I believe there is nothing wrong in condemning the guilty. Why do not you go ahead and demonstrate the skills of your mature mind and come out with your list of most admirable people with reasoning, let us surely learn from them if found appropriate.
“Somehow this list reminds me of a story from Mahabharata, in which acharya Drona send Yudhishthira and Duryodhana to a village to find a most pious person and a most evil person. Yudhishthira comes back telling that he did not find a single evil person in the whole village. Duryodhana also comes back telling that he did not find a single pious person in the whole village.”
Who was your role model when you read/responded to this article? is it Duryodhana? Should be Duryodhana, since you perceived evil here, Yudhishthira would not have found evil here, am I right? Let the same Mahabharatha story as guide you in answering this.
“but in true spirit of Socrates, merely question the wisdom of those who assume authority with a sincere hope of getting some enlightenment.”
All right, surely Socrates’s spirit should inspire you to question the wisdom of people listed as loathsome by Sandeep? these people have assumed more authority than any blogger? If you have already done this as a first step before investing time in responding to a mediocre’s view, then please share the information with us and enlighten us.
I will not brand you as mediocre, but am just trying to point out my observations in your comments.
17. December 2009 - 8:58 AM
Mr Anwar Shaikh,
If you are serious about this blog it better you substantiate your claim, tell us where you differ from Sandeep’s stand, be constructive, spit and run away is good old strategy of mediocre, so please kindly let us know who is that “Nobel” sole in the (above) list who deserved respect, please substantiate your claim.
17. December 2009 - 9:21 AM
Mr Anwar Shaikh,
One other point, don’t think you will get away by quoting from Mahabaratha, sometimes it can be harmful if one “misuses” these great epics(Mahabaratha and Ramanaya) and at the same time its also harmful if one correctly “use” GOD REVELATIONS like Koran.
My suggestions to the peaceful world is , Interpret the great epics in right sense and interpret the “GOD Revelations” in wrong sense.
Sorry to hurt you, but thats reality…….
17. December 2009 - 11:20 AM
“My suggestions to the peaceful world is , Interpret the great epics in right sense and interpret the “GOD Revelations” in wrong sense.”
Raghvendra, are you stating that the Koran is a “great epic” ? Because once you start going through it, it is just a rehashing of the Old Testament and the New Testament along with the complete life story of a paedophile mass-murderer rapist sadistic warlord called Muhammad.
http://historyofjihad.org
17. December 2009 - 11:37 AM
MR S,
You have mistaken me
This what I said, misinterpretation of “Mahabaratha” is harmful, and at the same time correct interpretation of Koran is also harmful.
Am I clear ?
17. December 2009 - 12:56 PM
Seems that we are on the same side
17. December 2009 - 7:33 PM
You cannot loathe mediocrity. Most of the people listed above are mediocre, opportunistic and/or characterless.
17. December 2009 - 10:31 PM
Great …. All the 12 people well deserved for Loathsome People of India (2009).
Now please publish the 2nd list and include Raj T also.
19. December 2009 - 9:25 AM
Thus spake times of india
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/music/The-Bhatts-should-be-investigated/articleshow/5292922.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Mahesh-Bhattthe-baap-of-all-the-talkers/articleshow/5343348.cms
19. December 2009 - 10:09 AM
Dear Sandeep, blessed are those that compile such lists and blessed are those that endorse it. Now beseech you to take it to the next level – ask readers to vote the most loathsome from the 12 and this person will find place in “Sandeep’s Hall of Loathsomeness” which of course you will now design.
19. December 2009 - 10:15 AM
Is the Anwar Shaikh on this readers’ list the same as the one who penned Islam and Terrorism” ?
19. December 2009 - 11:42 AM
Ravi
“You cannot loathe mediocrity–”
thats right–they are just puppets for those operate behind the scenes, i.e. those who ensure the propagation of such ideas–now if people were to realize who is usually “behind the scenes”, then they might be on to something. Focusing on the actors and not on those who write the script, enables the “behind the scenes” directors to remain invisible…
19. December 2009 - 1:32 PM
“Is the Anwar Shaikh on this readers’ list the same as the one who penned Islam and Terrorism” ?”
He died last year.
19. December 2009 - 5:59 PM
It’s a good idea to have a Hindu-centric list of those who hurt the Hindu Cause in Hindustan. I am at a loss to understand however, how on earth you could forget the absolutely inane Manmohan Singh who has done more to damage the country than anyone in living memory. And so many political w@@@@s who have managed to grab posts and ensured that the nation sinks to cesspool levels.
We need a real movement for the moral rearmament of India. This is now a task for the Youth alone = the old are all corrupt, and effete, and depraved.
Sandhya Jain
19. December 2009 - 8:51 PM
I nominate Ms. A Roy for a Lifetime Achievement in Loathsomeness Award (LA-LA). This implies that she is no longer eligible to appear in any annual list since her achievements go far beyond the Loathsomeness Quotient of mere mortals.
20. December 2009 - 12:55 AM
Radha Rajan,
Thanks much for those kind words. I’ll think about that distilled down/vote-based idea/Hall of shame, etc.
Sandhya Jain,
Manmohan Singh ranks #2 in this list. Please check.
20. December 2009 - 10:50 AM
funny funny funny
seriously satirical mr dear sir.
20. December 2009 - 3:33 PM
“I nominate Ms. A Roy for a Lifetime Achievement in Loathsomeness Award (LA-LA). This implies that she is no longer eligible to appear in any annual list since her achievements go far beyond the Loathsomeness Quotient of mere mortals.”
You mean Suzanne Arundhati Roy, cousin of Prannoy James Roy ?
21. December 2009 - 8:45 AM
Hi Sandeep,
I am an admirer of you for long time. Since I am staying in US for past 15 years, I would consider USIRCF to be the most dangerous of all Duryodhans, Dushyashans, Ravanas.
Here are reasons why. Pew Research ( A non partisan centre) in US carried out a survey in US recently. The predictions are Americans have lost the confidence in their nations future. Many donot believe that their children will not have a standard of living compared to present generation. All due to near great depression conditions caused by Financial crisis of last year. Eventhough Indians form a very small portion of US population, they have managed the crisis much better than others. Credit our upbringing (Gujarathi entrepreunership), typical south Indian small town Software guys frugal living etc. Here is the problem. This means heavy majority for Republican Party (I donot like Democrats or Barrack Obama . They are two sides of same coin) and again ascendancy of Evangelical wing.
Imagine the final days of Moghul empire and religious passion of Aurangazeb for a declining US empire.
I still have hope for India and still wish gujarath CM Narendra Modi will move to Centre.
24. December 2009 - 7:48 PM
I was quite attracted to this site for its lively discussion on various topics. However may I request that this discussion may not be converted into “us” Vs “them” slang match.
27. December 2009 - 8:19 AM
I get it.
Loathsome people = Those who oppose, do not subscribe, or are indifferent to the extremism/ fundamentalism/ sectarianism of the anti-national pseudo-patriotic RSS and its violent outgrowths.
All commies, pseudo-secularists, or ‘loathsome’.
And everyone of them regulars here agrees. To be honest it is all a waste. You are preaching to the already converted. Lots of time on your hands and lots of people to hate. Carry on..
28. December 2009 - 3:29 PM
Superb! One cannot disagree with much of what’s listed and discussed in this list. At a time when all sorts of lists are coming up (a sampling of lists will yield “Most Influential persons”, “The Power List”, “Men/women of the year/decade”), this Loathesome 10 list fills a major gap.
A must read.
My take on some complaints about Genocide Suzie (Roy) and Raj Thakeray….Roy is now on the extreme left fringes (with self-styled psychoanalystAshis Nandy for company). Raj T is a bigoted fool, but in this age of fierce competition to be the greatest lout, he does not make the cut!
Jai ho!!!
30. December 2009 - 3:17 PM
Superb. Will not change any word in this list.
One suggestion — why do we allow inquilabi leftists to post their poison here? Dont they have all the newspapers on their side already? Isnt all that enough? Purge comments from commies/jihaadis from this website.
13. January 2010 - 10:18 AM
Just want to submit some data points about YSR with respect to Nationalist causes.
1. CBI to probe killing of Sohrabuddin
http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/13/stories/2010011361171000.htm
This happened within few months after 2005 elections after YS became CM and AP police cooperated with Gujarat Police.
2. Requiem for a role model
http://www.dailypioneer.com/200542/Requiem-for-a-role-model.html
Chandan Mitra’s account of YS confronting Maoists and praise for his courage.
3. Launch of Dalita Govindam and numerous other initiatives during earlier TTD chairman Bhumana’s term.
4. Lot of people see YS hidden hand in securing majority for BJP government formation in Karnataka and it is possible ruffled some feathers in Karnataka during that process.
Image is not matching reality wrt YSR, I would not put him in most loathsome list.