Kathmandu, March 22:

At a time when the organisers of the Miss Nepal beauty pageant are preparing for the grand finale to be held some two weeks later, various organisations are planning on how to thwart the contest.

Organisations, including Women’s Forum for Democratic Republic, Feminist Dalit Organisation, Women’s Rehabilitation Centre, and Maithili Mahila Samaj are participating in the protest plans.

MP Anjana Bishankhe, today said they would organise peaceful protests to press the organisers of the Miss Nepal beauty contest to drop the idea. “We will also create pressure on the government not to give permission to the organisers to hold the contest,” she said, adding the protesters would request the government to block the broadcast of the event through state media.

She said they would organise interaction and publish articles in the newspapers and organise media campaign to convince the new generation that organising such contests cannot be justified.

MP Tika Budhathoki, who had attended a joint meeting organised today, said a five-member panel has been formed to develop a concept paper on why and how to protest against the beauty contest.