AIZAWL, Feb 24 - The bikini round of Miss Mizoram contest has raised a controversy in the Christian-dominated society with the State�s apex women body demanding on the organisers to remove photos of the contestants with revealing bathing suits from social media.
Ever since the bikini round was telecast by Zonet cable TV on Tuesday night it created a debate on social media, some for it and some against it. Photos of the 16 contestants wearing skimpy bikinis were subsequently posted on the Miss Mizoram official Facebook page as well as Instagram.
Some conservative Christians have termed the bikini round as un-Christian and a threat to public morality.
The Mizoram Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP), the State women�s apex body, today came out with a press statement criticising the bikini round in which the contestants were shown in revealing swimsuits in such a way that the entire public, including children can see them.
The MHIP said that such extreme exposure of women�s body is �demeaning to the entire womenfolk, un-Christian and against our culture�. The organisation demanded the organisers to remove photos and videos of the bikini round from social media and stop telecasting.
The MHIP, however, made it clear that it is not against the beauty pageant. �Can beauty pageant not be organised with modest dresses and our beautiful traditional dresses?� Saipuii, general secretary of MHIP, said.
The organisers have said that as bikini round is part and parcel of every beauty pageant in national level and international level, we have to include it because we are trying to promote our contestants in national level contests.
In support of this, Irene Lalruatkimi, assistant professor in Mizoram University�s Journalism and Mass Communication department, said, �Bikini round is a must in a beauty pageant. But the organisers should make sure that the photos are censored before showing them to public, in view of our conservative Christian society. The time of showing on television should also be taken into consideration. It should have been shown late night, instead of primetime.�