Well-known 'progressive' Nepali writer Khagendra Sangraula has formed a committee
in Katmandu to protest against the Dabur Vatika Miss Nepal Contest 2004, which is
going to be held this coming Saturday.

The Sangraula Committee's reasons are: That such beauty contests demean Nepali women, turn them into advertising tools of multinational (capitalistic) companies, and degrade the values of Nepali society.

Does the Sangraula Committee have valid points or is it just being a spoilsport?

***********

I think the Sangraula Committee has every right -- without resorting to violence --
to protest against beauty contests AS MUCH AS all the over-the-age-of-18 women participants have the right to participate in such contests.

I also do not believe that any variation of "Nepali society" is so weak that beauty contests have the power to change it beyond recognition.

But what do others think?

oohi
ashu

I am against beauty contest and all but
But you got to define
"degrade the values of Nepali society"

In amsterdam prostitution is legal yet it is a very developed place. Why does people in nepal want to go backwards? Regression?

Why do people feel a need to classify everything as moral or immoral? There is no denying that beauty contests are organized for corporate reasons - marketing products, public relations, etc. But, what's wrong with doing that? The girls who participate in the contests are not being raped or harmed in any way. If they don't have a problem, why should others? If these activists succeed in their effort, instead of helping women, they would actually be harming them by not letting them participate in beauty contests. Beauty contests have been used by aspiring models as a platform to get noticed and win modelling contracts from companies. Depriving them from this platform could mean that some Nepali women would have no career at all.

The root of all this protest lies in the fact that most people in Nepal do not think of modelling as a profession or at least not as a respectful one. That is why they think that beauty contests demean women. These people need to get an attitude change. Most companies interview their candidates before offering a job. Beauty contests are like an interview for models. Physial appeal and personality are a very important part of selling a product and a beauty contest, not an IQ test, is the appropriate judge of that.

yeah beauty contest is like an interview, interview for those who want to be high standard prostitutes, thats what most of the models are!! u might call me conservative, but if a girl earns by revealing her body parts, its almost teh same as earning money by letting others touch her body parts! and i guess most of nepalese think of modelling as a profession buit certainly not a respectful one, cause prostitution is also a profession!
and i dont think the developed countries developed by selling "p***ies!"

I attended a program run by Khagendra Sangraula and other assorted Leftist
buddhijibis this afternoon at the Royal Nepal Academy. The program was billed
as an "interaction program against beauty contests."

While listening to speeches after speeches (there were copious references to Marx
and Chomsky), it suddenly dawned on me the "birodh" here is NOT of beauty
contests per se, but of that old scourge -- capitalism (or poonjibaad).

Our Leftist buddhibis sounded miffed that all these sundaris have crossed the line to
join the capitalist pigs, with none staying behind to join them . . . Speakers after speakers told the audience how capitalistic multinationals exploit these young women . . . by making them trade their so-called beauty to sell beer and other products, and how such transactions are harming "a country like Nepal."

Of course, NONE provided any evidence of such harm.
The important part was to ASSERT these "truths" and hope that the audience would lap them up.

Never mind that these women -- for the Miss Nepal Contest -- have to be all over the age of 18, hence, one presumes are capable of deciding for themselves and that they WILLINGLY -- with eyes wide open -- choose to take part in this sort of Miss Nepal contests, hoping -- in most cases -- for a boost in their careers . . .

I am no fan of beauty contests. (In fact, in a publication under a pen name, I satirised the one I attended last May)

see -http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue199/nepalipan.htm.

But after listening to Leftist intellectuals such as Ninu Chapagain, Mrs. Surya Thapa, Mr. Ramesh Sharma, Hari Roka and others [Disclosure: Some of them happen to be my
good friends], I found the whole program quite interesting in the sense that the Nepali Left appears to be so intellectually bankrupt these days that it is incapable of recycling even the well-worn arguments of activists elsewhere.

The language they used this afternoon could not have been any different than the
one used by, say, Hindu fundamentalists guarding "the purity" of their culture.

I came back toi the office, feeling sorry NOT for the beauty contest participants, but
for these protesters whose protest is BOTH seasonal and devoid of any intellectual consistency/clarity.

Then again, as American journalist H.L Mencken once said of such nose-crinkling puritanism: "It's the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy."

oohi
ashu

I can agree if it they are denouncing capitalism, but to say that the contest in itself is degrading women and to women is pretty bogus. We are not jihadiýs against burka wearing wives and daughters, we worship Bhagawatiýs and durgaýs beauty and depict sexually charged murtiýs atop our temples, where aesthetics abounds to that of sexual moreýs as opposed to Ashcroftýs against Civil liberties. To me there is no connection at all, and especially it coming out of leftist intelligentsia, I laugh with Ashu as well.
the tantrik Disco

I think people are getting jobs like that which is good for country like us. Degrades nepali value?? I think no one should leave Nepal and go to other countries. I think we degraded our values when we left our country.

Miss Nepal is a right step towards demonstrating full rights for Women. I see nothing wrong in organizing Miss Nepal. Events like this can create opportunities for many people. Bollywood and Hollywood are both examples of such events.

May be those opposing the event are using Miss Nepal contest as a scapegoat for their voices to be heard in the media like Ashu mentioned.

Khagendra Sangruala is a pathetic person. He could not control his own son from defecting to USA (Capitalistic), then why is he shouting at what others daughters are doing within Nepal? Problem with Left is, it is not right!!! If they think Left is right for people, then justify the Maoists?

I am not born in the US , but having lived here for sometime , i believe in the American spirit. Let people choose and decide. When I say choose, I mean let protesters protest and let the ladies choose and decide if they want to participate in the so called BEAUTY PAGEANTS.

If you are asking me "WOuld you like to participate " My answer would be no. ( Not because I am not eligible). I am better off competing with so called white collar business minded folks in the corporate world. I surely would not miss a chance to go to Mars with the world famous artronouts though.

( But that's me. I personally don't believe in these beauty pageants) Please no offence to anybody.

Main reason why I don't believe in beauty pageants:

1 why do we have to show our body ( i mean wear swin suits, that is what bugs me)
I think women have more potential and are equally competent as men. Why are we always judged by our body or looks ? How about having a MR. Nepal Contest???

there was a typo I meant i was not born ......

I think the appreciation of beauty comes deep rooted from our sexual drives. Guys are the ones who have to be in an excited state for sex so they need beauty and erroticism and hot girl to get into the excited state.

In order for the continuation of species, thus beauty is important for males. For females, however they require a male who can copulate and take care of them if they themselves are not capable of it.

Beauty contest is merely a lighter form of strip tease if you really think about it. It's all about sex baby. The male version of beauty contest would be the showing of the male body along with the size of the member. Because size does matter and girls prefer big.

In My Opinion...I don't see anything wrong in fashion show.
We Nepalese try to be too much in going aginst such things.
If we all are so much worried about the situation, then what the hell are we doing abroad?

Its very easy to bash about your country from staying far away.
All these fashion shows are not knocking at your door...Those who are interested are particpating...and there is nothing wrong with that...

I am very sad that people like us have such mentaility....
I know the country is going through some rough times...but who is at fault and who is to blame? Everybody knows ---somewhat...

So what even if the country is experiencing bad times---that doesn't mean that people can entertain themselves...


Don't you go to clubs here or even try to act as American/British/Australian, etc?



By the way Preeti---for your information--there is no swim suit round sin Nepal. So youdon't have to worry about showing your beautiful bodies. You can get a glimpse of Mr Nepal by clicking on this link
http://www.nepalisite.com/fashion/mrnepal.cfm


I bet all of you have seen Playboy....

this kurakani really caught my eye. well, mr. sangraula is protesting that beauty pageants are degrading women's worth in nepal. well, he should be protesting against those ladies who are sitting at home, doing nothin with thier intelligence, education and skills and who are enough to handle good jobs and valuable time. should he must protest abt this, or the same pervert and ignorant ladies who are out in the rush to be a miss nepal are bold enough to reveal their skin on the national television, representing their equality of gender. i'm confused. netiher opposing nor favoring but its ridiculous for underdeveloped countires like nepal to hold such events that does not either favor country or nepalese. nepal is way back behind from progress and developement and such beauty pageants mean nothin to society or culture. its just a show off. whom to blame???????????

I think it's meaningful to know of whom we are talking about. Priti Sitaula and Khagendra Sangruala. Justify yourself why Khagendra campaigned against beauty contest in Nepal.

beauty is bussiness....less cloth more profit, :P

Must wonder why Nepal is allowing Daabar Inc of India to control the Miss Nepal Contest. That's wrong though.

To no surprise, Khagendra Sangraula has published a blistering attack against the upcoming Miss Nepal Contest in today's [Wednesday's] Kantipur.

As the article makes clear, Sangraula's wrath is NOT against beauty contests per se,
but against the agents of capitalism who come, in this case, in the form of a multinational business.

[NOTE: The lead sponsor of the Miss Nepal Contest is Dabur-Nepal, a firm that has a Nepali -- Mr. Rukma Sumsher Rana -- as its Nepali partner.]

Since I was also at the Royal Nepal Academy program (see my prevous posting on this thread above) that Sangraula mentions in today's article, I can say that Sangraula -- rushing to prove his point -- has MISREPRESENTED the positions taken by Gagan T
hapa (a Nepali Congress youth leader) and Pratyoush Onta (a historian).

Gagan's position was that of ambivalence toward such contests, and Pratyoush's concern was that the organisers behind the contest should help the winners develop careers of their interest (whether in journalism or in something else!).

Unless I heard Gagan and Pratyoush wrong, there was NOTHING in their speeches
that could be said that they were AGAINST beauty contests . . . but you wouldn't
know that by reading Sangraula's piece in today's Kantipur.

At the function, speakers such as artist Ashmina Ranjit (who'll be entering New York's Columbia University in three weeks on a Fullbright Fellowship), former Miss Nepal
Malvika Subba and choreographer Srijana Yonzon spoke in favor of such contests with verifable evidence. Unsurprisingly, in his article, Sangraula chose NOT to address their arguments. He did not even bother to address the objections raised by his critics. So much for intellectual honesty!!

oohi
ashu

I think it is just pathetic that people are against such competetions. These pageants brings out confidence and leadership in women, which i don't think is a bad thing. One thing to look at when these girls wear bikinis, is their confidence on carrying themselves but not the parts of their body being shown. That is why there is a swimsuit comepetetion in the first place, to look at their confidence regardless of their outfit. The nastiness and nudity are in those people's thoughts who think that it is merely a "show off" of the body parts. I suggest then to these people to not to goto the beach, swimming pools or even watch any movies esp. hollywood movies. I think more nudity exists there.
I agree that we have to respect our culture and customs. But, when it comes to competing with the world why should Nepalese go backwards???? Those people who love the culture and customs so much so that they are willing to take the country backwards should wear only Nepali clothes everywhere. Any other clothes might reveal some parts of their body!!!!!!! When one can not do a particular thing themselves then they should not disgust other people for not doing it. No offence to anyone. This is what i think.