Did you know that beauty contests were originally introduced to select faces who can serve society and emerge role models? But our society has relegated these pageants to mean "beautiful ladies without brains sashaying down the ramp".
There are a ton of beauty contests held in every nook and cranny of the world. According to one school of thought, these are the shows which revolve around the thought of judging a person's beauty based on ridiculous parameters like clothes, sharpness of nose, thickness of lips and the ability to come up with faux answers.
But a beauty pageant is much more than just that and it serves the "greater good" purpose.
We asked Roshmitha Harimurthy, winner of Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva Universe 2016, and this is what she had to say about the decreasing importance of such pageants and why people need to see models in the right light.
Roshmitha Says Beauty Pageant Is Not About Judging Beauty
The only thing that gets to Roshmitha is when people look down upon models saying "oh her claim to fame is only that she is beautiful". According to this diva, it's unnerving to say the least.
"It's sheer hard work and sacrifice which every profession demands. Please don't forget, we represent our motherland and everyone is going to judge India basis how I fare. The responsibility is huge and I am going to make my country proud, " she added.
Around 45%of the contestants are practicing doctors, 15% are MBAs, 10% are teachers and then there are pilots and engineers, so where does the brainless bit come from. "It is unfortunate that people see these contests in such a bad light. The contestants are talented in their own right and display great personality skills. That is an achievement in itself," she said.
Ex Miss Universe Sushmita Sen Says It Is As Hardworking A Field As Software Engineers
"It's unfair that people look down upon a job, a contest. A model's job is as good or as bad as any body else's. In fact there is far too much responsibility for the model because she is the face of your society. It's no one's business to judge other people based on what they do or where they aspire to be" Sen, who won the Miss Universe tittle in 1994 said.
She added that shaming beauty pageants just shows that we have not evolved as a society. That we are still bound by patriarchal norms.
Don't forget, these contests and contestants are the ones who have pinned India on the World Map.
Youth Reporters Say Beauty Pageant Shaming Reflects Badly On Society, Not Them Models
Shaming anything is just below dignity. Who has given anyone the right to shame a profession or contest. Beauty pageants are like launching pads for youngsters who want to do something for the society. It's no fun, it's more work.
Sonia Sarkar, class IX, Amity International
Pageants are no longer just about bikinis and pretty looking ladies, it's also about all round personal development. Every contest focuses on Holistic development, so what's wrong with that. Models teach us to stand with your head held high and face the world as if you are the queen. I salute their confidence.
Sharanya Patnaik, class IX, Mothers International School, New Delhi
Can we please stop terming these as "beauty" pageants? It's more of a personality contest. There is a lot of hardwork that goes into making a mark in this field. Models are truly the face of our society. No one bothers whether she is fair skinned or dark, as long as she has a good persona, she is a winner.
Carol Dhanlaksmi, class X II, Pune
Why is there no talk about the male pageants. That is only masculine, where as beauty pageants for women are only about beauty - shows how pseudo we have become. There should be equal shaming if at all. But no one has the right to demean what you are doing.
Aditya Goswami, class X II, Bal Bharati
Do You Feel Beauty Pageants Are Only Superficial? Is It Right For Us To Shame Such Contests? Do You Feel That These Contests and Models Have Pinned India On The World Map? Let Us Know In The Comments Below.