Arun Kumar Shrivastav
Finally, there is news from Pakistan not about looming bankruptcy or anarchy. It’s about one of those beautiful things that Pakistan has in abundance. Indian people have been following Sachin Meena and Seema Haider’s love story, gasping at the beauty and lean figure of Seema Haider. Another beautiful Pakistan woman has come to the center stage, hogging the limelight from dreadful terrorists in loose pajamas and useless male politicians in oversized suits.
Here comes the 24-year-old Erica Robin, crowned the first Miss Universe Pakistan in a pageant held in Maldives on September 14. For the ruling elite in Pakistan, that should include the politicians, the army, and the terrorists. This is a coup they never expected was ever possible in Pakistan. Erica Robin would be the first Miss Universe Pakistan to participate in the Global Miss Universe Pageant this year, to be held in El Salvador in November. Hold your breath! She might make it!
This elegant model comes from a Christian family who got her Bachelor’s degree from an Indian university. So much for the theocratic worldview of Islamic Pakistan that would not like to see its women walk the ramp in revealing clothes.
Leaving the job of politicians to politicians, here is a moment for all the liberals everywhere to raise a toast to Pakistan’s success in the beauty pageant. Pakistan has the most beautiful and diverse geography, from seas to mountains and plains to deserts. The four states – Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan – have distinct ethnicities. The disputed territories of POK and Gilgit-Balistan also have their own ethnic and tribal population.
A net result of all these factors is that people are extremely beautiful and, in most cases, genuine and large-hearted. The Pakistani culture has been nurtured with folk songs, talented poets, singers, and musicians. Erica Robin is only inspired by the legacy these noble souls left behind in Pakistan.
After winning the contest, Robin said in an Instagram post that she was honoured. “We have a beautiful culture that the media is not talking about, Pakistani people are very generous, kind and hospitable. On top of that, I would like to invite everyone to visit my country and try the most sumptuous Pakistani cuisines and explore our enchanting nature, our snow-capped mountains, our greeneries and our progressive landscapes.”
But from religious leaders to caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq has criticized her and the pageant’s organizers. The Pakistan Prime Minister has even asked the country’s intelligence agencies to investigate how it happened after all and against the event organizers. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, in India, recently, some women have worked at a startup founder duo — Archit Aggarwal and Harry Sehrawat, both of whom are IIT Delhi graduates and figure in the Forbes’ 30 Under 30, 2022 list. Their startup, Sanfe, has raised funds from marquee investors such as SucSEED Venture Partners, Elixir Pharma, Titan Capital, and BIRAC. This 2018-founded startup is focused on female hygiene products, often bordering on intimate care. Their product range is also bizarre to some extent. For example, they have the much talked about roll-ons to lighten the skin’s color around nipples, inner thighs, and bum. That is just the beginning. Their ads are also equally evocative, if not provocative. For example, in one of the ads, they place a clean, half-cut ripe papaya, with all the black seeds in place, in front of a well-dressed woman’s front, where traditionally, you would expect a flower to denote female genitals in ads.
The saga of this under-30 duo from IIT Delhi is endless, and you must visit their site to see the full range of their products – all focused on women’s intimate care. Recently, on Twitter, some women were angry and amused in the same measure. Should inner-thigh patchy skin or bums be the business of any young man? She asked. She posted an emoji of a plate where she seemed to have placed the bum of Archit and Harry with a knife and fork. Should we go ahead, she seemed to be asking! Well, the difference between India and Pakistan has spawned this far!
In Erica Robin’s victory, here is a moment for Pakistan to set aside depressive and negative thoughts and celebrate her success with a big laugh! (IPA)
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