Let a thousand beauty pageants bloom

It may sound 'juvenile', but beauty contests are as good a barometer as any to measure diversity levels in society. It is in the level of opportunities available to all - or lack thereof - in such so-called 'frivolous' pursuits that one can gauge a true level of social mobility. Rather than relegating beauty pageants to the periphery - and, thereby, help perpetuate a 'closed club' system where only 1-2 types of contestants participate according to the yardstick of 1-2 types of taste - more such platforms across India's multi-tiers can throw up a more diverse set of winners. This is not just related to caste but also applies to all other excluded or underrepresented parameters.

When Madhu Sapre became Miss India in 1992, she broke the English-savvy 'barrier' among contestants. We have witnessed this democratisation most dramatically, of course, in the change in demography of our cricketers over time - the rise in popularity of women's cricket included. Broader attitudes - such as what constitutes beauty, and what promoters of such contests put premium on - will also expand accordingly. Increased opportunities at every level, through a transparent, accountable system, can change dogmas about what constitutes beauty, 'smartness' and 'pageant-winning' qualities and widen their scope.

In creating these multiple opportunities - and TV dance shows provide ample evidence of the success of such an approach - any 'political' debate confined to, say, caste will stop mattering. What will become evident, and indeed normalised, is a healthy representation from all quarters in beauty contests. From such an organic pool, who knows, we could get a 'new kind' of Miss India. Quite like we now have a 'new kind' of occupant at Rashtrapati Bhavan.