Row over Miss India pageant
Pageant organiser claims complaints are baseless
THE winner performed a provocative dance that is not inappropriate for a pageant that claims to be strong advocates of Indian culture.”
That was the complaint by some contestants in last week’s Zee TV Miss India-sa KZN pageant.
They spoke to the Tribune Herald but fearing victimisation, asked not to be named.
Eighteen young women walked the catwalk and displayed their cultural awareness with the hope of claiming the crown.
The queen, her two princesses and five other contests, as per the competition rules, vied for the right of passage into the next round – the national contest.
But the informants said they were surprised when the winner was announced.
“We were stunned because the girl who won performed a provocative belly dance to a Spanish song,” she said.
“Miss India SA is advertised as an Indian cultural event for the South African community,” said the dissatisfied entrant.
Another confirmed: “From the outset, the organiser emphasised this is a cultural pageant and we shouldn’t do anything contrary.
“This was about favouritism, the girls who won had sold the most tickets.”
The participants also decried the logistical planning and claimed conditions were less than ideal on the day.
But organiser of the pageant, Farook Khan, said the allegations made by some contestants were baseless.
“We would never ever do anything like that; and those who won probably bought some tickets for their families,” he said.
Khan questioned why the contestants who complained via the media preferred not to reveal their identity.
“We have been doing this pageant for 27 years and everybody is treated with a great deal of respect,” Khan assured.
The pageant winner refused to comment, and asked not to be named. A DURBAN mother and son are haunted by the initiation and humiliation her son suffered while representing Kwazulu-natal at a recent volleyball tournament in Bloemfontein.
The matric pupil, who had been a member of a KZN Under-19 squad, alleged he and his teammates were assaulted by senior provincial players, dragged from their