By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, March 31: The Miss Tibet Pageant 2020 has been cancelled due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, announced Lobsang Wangyal, the pageant director.
“Applicants have been told to apply again for the 2021 Pageant, which will take place in McLeod Ganj, India, from 4 to 6 June 2021,” added Lobsang.
This would have been the 18th edition, for which application was opened on 1 December 2019, and was to close on 31 March 2020. The Pageant was scheduled for 5 to 7 June in McLeod Ganj, India.
The pageant did not take place in 2019 as there were no applicants. In 2012, Lobsang cancelled the pageant as a mark of respect to Tibetan self immolators.
The pageant which drew ire from some sections of the Tibetan society arguing the western ways (swim suit round) could go against the Tibetan tradition and custom had seen Tibetan girls come forward to take part in the yearly event as a necessary way forward to engage Tibetan women, in reinventing their status quo and also to bring Tibet on to the global foray.
On five occasions, there were only one contestant. Past winners of the coveted title have participated in international pageants such as Miss Earth and Miss Global, drawing Beijing’s ire.
