Maoists threaten to battle Miss Nepal pageant Thursday

KATHMANDU - Nine Maoist organisations Wednesday warned the organisers of Nepal’s biggest and most popular beauty pageant not to hold the Miss Nepal contest or be ready to face dire consequences if they did.

“Women comprise more than half the population of Nepal,” said Manu Humagain, coordinator of the United Struggle Committee formed by former rebels to stage protests against the pageant scheduled to be held in the capital Thursday.

“They are ready to pay any price to safeguard their dignity and self-respect. The beauty pageant is an attempt to rob women of their dignity. We condemn it and ask the organisers not to go ahead with it,” Humagain said.

The nine Maoist organisations include the women’s wing of the party as well as their student and trade unions, and said they would wage a “strong struggle” if the organisers ignored their warning.

The 15-year-old pageant, which had in the past faced mild protests, could not be held last year after the Maoists came to power and waged a war on it.

However, since they have allowed dozens of other similar contests to be held, they are seen to be actually targetting the Indian company that is the main sponsor of Miss Nepal - Dabur Nepal, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Dabur India.

After the fall of the Maoist government this year, the Hidden Treasure, the event management company franchised to hold the contest, decided to go ahead with a low-key show.

It is now being positioned as the Fem Miss Nepal contest since very few people in Nepal are aware that Dabur has bought out Fem.

Also, instead of being held in the august Birendra International Convention Centre, its past venue, the contest will be held Thursday at the army club in Kathmandu amid tight security.

The winner will take part in the Miss World contest to be held in Johannesburg in