Saturday, January 16, 2010
Miss India Transgender Contest
The country’s first-ever Miss India Transgender contest — at the city’s Hotel Vijay Park — also saw candidates vying for titles for the most beautiful hair, eyes, skin and walk.
A relatively short Mumbaikar in her 20s won the Miss India title. Kareena Shalini, dressed in a pink sleeve-less gown, didn’t blink one second when she replied in Hindi to a crucial question from the jury of tele-serial artistes and transgender contestants from earlier regional-level shows. “I’ll not only protect the person, but would also ensure she got out of the trouble,” the wheatish-complexioned transgender said in a deep-throated voice, when asked if she would give refuge to a transgender who is a murderer.
The runner-up, Mani pur’s Thokcho Rockyson Romi, spoke in English, while the second runner-up Padmini, was a Tamil with a bigger build and almost in her 30s. The thrill at the tastefully lit up basement was palpable as 800-odd trans-genders, largely led by various NGOs, gathered to cheer the candidates in a bid to boost the entire community’s self-esteem.
Most contestants at the event, organised by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation with the support from TANSACS, UNAIDS and ACTIONAID, aired views about uplift, fighting for their rights, job opportunities and prospects of gaining power.
Many at the gathering, as ICWO’s A J Hariharan too agreed, felt this pageantry would go a long way in fighting the stigma they faced in society.
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