Harnaaz..You're are our Naaz!!

To be honest, I am elated that Miss Harnaaz won the Miss Universe 2021 title for India. The crown was back to India after 21 long years. My sincere appreciation to her for the self-belief, discipline, hard work and dedication she has put in to win the crown back, joining the league of shining personalities like Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta.

And then I see this article in the Hindu. Read it here: 

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/miss-universe-2021-pageant-and-the-burden-of-beauty/article37953141.ece 

 An article blowing things out of proportion. Discrediting the positive aspects about pageants, which people have been talking about time and again. And The Hindu decided to publish the article unfairly slamming beauty pageants...After all the they have done to showcase that it is not about skin deep beauty. After giving stellar opportunities to identify and groom many famous personalities like Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Gal Gadot and Sushmita Sen who went are shining beacons of hope and inspiration to so many women across the globe.

Decided to write about it since I don't agree with the author. For example, read this para:

There was the crowning irony moment when India’s Harnaaz Sandhu, who became Miss Universe, passionately dissed beauty and declaimed, “Let’s talk about more important things happening worldwide…” while blithely forgetting that she was participating in an event in Israel amidst boycott calls and global concerns about the country’s ruthless settlement and suppression policy vis-à-vis Palestinians, an “important thing” that neither participants nor organizers were talking about.

It was obviously not in her control to decide the venue of the event. But it was her dream to win Miss Universe title. And when she has never talked about Israel-Palestine issue one cannot assume that she is unaware about it or she doesn’t care about it. Later in the article she criticises how Miss Harnaaz spoke about knowing you are unique and stop comparing yourself with others. I didn't know it is possible for someone to find fault with what she said, UNTIL... I read her article.

She doesn’t leave it there...read on:

In fact, some contestants posed with Palestinian costumes and food using a Visit Israel hashtag, oblivious to the blatant appropriation that allows Palestinian culture to be showcased even as Palestinians are systematically erased.

One can easily guess that whoever did this did not intend to disregard the struggle of the Palestinians. And there are more responsible people out there who are supposed to sort out these issues? Why blame the 20-year-olds who posed with Palestinian costume or food? How does finding fault with them contribute to solving the problem?

The author again goes on casting many more aspersions on Harnaaz as well as the Miss Universe pageant. My take on some of them:

 

1. Competing in a pageant is not about comparing. Then there should never be any contests. All contests are about selecting the best of the lot and it is not required to slam people competing as comparison.

 

2. High heels? How do you know they don't like high heels? If it were flats someone can very well say the contestants were not allowed to wear heels? Maybe we should have another contest - How to find faut with everything about an event you don't like?

 

3. Ridiculous props in the national costume round? Have you seen costumes in Met Gala? Have you heard of creativity?

 

4. 'They' meowed like cats? How many people did that? Why this exaggeration? Why see it out of context? Also, I am not able to comprehend the thought process of the author which led her to look down upon something done as part of friendly banter.

 

5. Beauty standards? Doesn't all contests have criteria? Don't we have similar contest for Men too…Do they come on board with pot bellies and slouched body language?

6. Western clothing? What else do you expect from a pageant originating from USA? Should they endorse Kimonas? 

 7. Another excerpt read: At an even more basic level — what really does a beauty pageant mean in a world where the perfect nose is a scalpel away and flawless skin comes in a bottle? Completely incoherent argument. I don't think I need to explain why. She is totally missing the point. 

One logical possibility of a negative influence of pageants on young women would be perhaps aspiring for unrealistic body proportions or beauty standards. But that is only a possibility and we should make women educated and smart enough to think for themselves what is right and wrong for them. 

 

So why did the author write this article? Perhaps the author is just plain jealous.

 

If we set out to find fault, it is possible to find fault with everything in the world. I think that is what she has proved. Harnaaz…just ignore the rants… Once again Congratulations from the bottom of my heart!!!