Kathmandu, April 3:

Speakers from various walks of life today criticised the capitalist market that “exploits and uses the participants of the beauty pageants to sell their products in the market”.

Addressing an interaction organised by the Beauty Pageant Protest Committee- 2063, litterateur Dr Jagdish Chandra Bhandari said: “The capitalists have used the contestants as an object to gain profit by promoting their products.” He claimed that the beauty pageants have harmed local cultures. “These contests have marginalised the inner ability of the contestants; they have encouraged the development of autocratic culture,” he said. Bhandari said the qualities of a person are acknowledged through the activities performed by him, not through such pageants.

Ishwar Chandra Gyawali the All Nepal Jana Sanskritik Mahasangh, said: “Beauty can be defined a quality of a person who can contribute something to the society.” He said the capitalists use women as object to gain profit by selling products through them. He called the participants to raise their voices against the capitalists “who are creating social evils to gain profit”.

Shashi Shrestha, central committee member of the Janamorcha Nepal, said: “It is necessary to know the actual motive behind organising beauty pageants, though such contests are necessary to bring out hidden talents of individuals.” “Our protest is against the unrevealed motive of such pageants, as the participants are used for the promotion of commercial products,” Shrestha said, adding, “Such pageants have become the place for economic expansion of the capitalists.”

“The participants must come forward for a movement to build the nation through women’s empowerment,” Shrestha said.

Sugarika KC, Miss Nepal 2005, said: “The contestants work in the promotional campaigns of the products, which directly and indirectly help in the enhancement of the business and national economy.” She added that the winner of the beauty pageant works as a tourism ambassador and helps in introducing Nepal to different parts of the world.