By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, JUNE 3: At a modest press meeting, Lobsang Wangyal, the Director-cum-Producer of the Lobsang Wangyal Production, today formally announced Tenzin Yangzom as the unopposed winner of the Miss Tibet 2014.
Tenzin Yangzom, a 23-year-old student from Gangtok, Sikkim, has recently completed her B. Ed from Bangalore. Five participants have confirmed to take part in the pageant, but four withdrew citing various personal problems at the last minute, regretted Lobsang.
Despite its share of popularity in the exile Tibetan community and its successive editions over the years, the number of participants for the beauty pageant has not gone up. This is the fourth time that the pageant has seen only one contestant for the crown, as it was the case in 2003, 2005 and 2013 when the crown winners did not have to face any contender.
“We are ready to welcome more contestants and put on a full-fledged pageant, but how many would come is not in our hands. There should be individual as well as community initiative for a bigger number,” said Lobsang. On our part, we have not given up, and will never give up, and hope that there will be more contestants in the next year’s pageant.”
Yangzom will be crowned and sashed the new Miss Tibet and will be given a cheque of one Lac rupees (100,000) on June 8 at a glittering ceremony at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts.
Calling the title of Miss Tibet an important forum, Yangzom said she will seek the world’s support to Tibet’s just cause. “Tibetans inside Tibet are undergoing innumerable sufferings. More than a hundred of them have been driven to self-immolation, which is unparalleled in Tibet’s history. Miss Tibet can voice the worsening human rights situation in Tibet through a number of national and international forums and gain worldwide support.”
She also believes that education is the most important weapon in today’s world. “We lost our country because Tibetans were not educated in their own country. Therefore, I took a Bachelor of Education after my degree, and would like to pursue School Management for further studies. The Tibetan government needs qualified people to run Tibetan schools. The future of Tibet depends on the education of present generation. I will be more than happy to extend my contribution wherever necessary.”
Last year, Tenzing Lhamo, a Registered Nurse from Madison, US was crowned as Miss Tibet 2013. She donated her prize money to the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Madison, and Student’s for a Free Tibet, New York.
Miss Tibet pageant was organised for the first time in Tibetan history by Lobsang Wangyal in year 2002. The aim and objectives of the pageant is to empower Tibetan women and to give them an opportunity on par with their western counterparts.
