Opinion Finally, a plus-size beauty at Miss Universe

But much as I was obsessed with these contests, the thought of ever being able to participate in them didn’t occur to me. The reason: I was a chubby girl and in the thin-obsessed world we live in, fat and beauty don’t make a good match. I look back and am amused that not even in my wildest imagination did the dream of participating in a beauty contest cross my mind. It didn’t fill me with any resentment or longing; it was simply something that was not for me. Like living in Antilla, or landing on the dark side of the moon, if you may. It was for other people.

It has been more than two decades since, and a lot many things have changed in the world. From struggling to find even one garment of our size, to having brand after brand begging for our attention to buy from their “plus-sized” collections, life has become a little easier for big girls like me. Doctors may still gaslight us, pinning the blame for everything, from a mild headache to more life-threatening symptoms, on our weight, and relatives and friends-from-home-town may still give unsolicited advice on weight loss, but hey, at least we can wear stylish clothes. And tell people to pipe down on their “body shaming”. Ah, what were we even doing all this while without this term? But in the beauty and glamour industry, things remained the same.

Women, most of them teenage girls, are still required to be wafer thin, even their fluid intake being monitored to avoid bloating due to “water retention”. Beauty queens, without any hint of irony, can be seen fondly recalling the regimented diets of their pageant days. And it’s not like you are spared the constant scrutiny and impossible beauty standards even after proving your mettle on the international stage. Miss Universe 2021, Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu, is often trolled for her supposed weight gain — a result of a medical condition (celiac disease) that she has openly talked about.

Amid all this, can any plus-size girl even dream about participating in a beauty contest?

The events of last month show that maybe they can. Images of Miss Nepal, Jane Dipika Garrett, striding confidently in swimwear, complete with bare back and plunging neckline, at the Miss Universe contest took the internet by storm. With her full figure, the 22-year-old looked a lot different from her co-contestants, and certainly different from thousands who have graced the stage before, but she confidently held her own. Some may argue that she is not even fat, merely curvy. But those of us who have been following, and participating, in beauty contests since forever know how huge a leap even this is. That it took over 70 years since the first Miss Universe contest was held for a plus-size girl to be a participant is a major step towards inclusivity. And that it came in the form of a South Asian woman makes it even more special.

As for me, my fascination for beauty contests is now a thing of the past. If not for my job in the news industry, I would not even know who from India would be representing the country on the international stage. I don’t think beauty contests are needed; who is to decide what is beautiful anyway? But what I believe is that people, particularly children, and particularly little girls, should be allowed to dream. And Miss Nepal’s strides at the Miss Universe stage have given us just that. The seven-year-old girl in me is really, really pleased.

deepika.singh@expressindia.com