By R.K. Prasher
Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh) – The ball is set to roll for another Miss Tibet – now a rage among young Tibetan girls in exile and also those in the plateau – a pageant that has seen its share of controversy.
The contest will begin Sep 29 and the grand finale will be held Oct 9 at McLeodganj, the town enchantingly tucked away in the sylvan settings of upper Dharamsala against the backdrop of the commanding Dhauladhar mountain range.
Lobsang Wangyal, the director-producer of the Miss Tibet beauty contest, said many applications had been received but no confirmation had yet been made by the aspiring contestants.
He said hectic spadework was on to successfully organise this year’s Miss Tibet contest.
In 2003, Kyi Tsering, the lone applicant who turned up at the last minute, was declared the winner.
But Wangyal stoically said: “There is no likelihood of such a situation (this time).”
If at all that happens, the organisers might keep the name of the participant a total secret till her crowning on the evening of Oct 9.
In such a case there will be no jury or guest celebrities but only a modest crowning ceremony and a talent show by the new Miss Tibet, Tibetan sources told IANS.
The Miss Tibet contest has proved controversial in the past, with China objecting to participation of winners in world pageants on the ground that Tibet was part of its territory.
India is home to about 100,000 Tibetans, many of whom had fled to India in 1959 with their supreme Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. His government-in-exile is based here.
