Miss India beauty pageant in Connecticut to take healthy body mass index into selection criteria

Tosses aside the swim suit segment.

By The American Bazaar Staff

NEW YORK: The Miss India Connecticut pageant, to be held at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, CT, on September 21, has a unique feature to it for participants: for the first time, the healthy body mass index (BMI), will be taken into account in the selection criteria, and has tossed aside the swimwear segment.

The theme this year for the pageant, to be hosted by Diva America Inc., is ‘Shakti – Strength of a Woman’.

Miss India Connecticut is not just a pageant but a campaign to bring greater assimilation of Indian and local American communities in Connecticut, said a press release.

“Through the pageant we try to bring focus on current issues affecting the society. The theme for this year’s pageant is Shakti – Strength of a Woman! This show is dedicated to women around the world who face struggles at each stage of their life yet rise to be a bright guiding star in their family & communities,” said the release.

The organizers argue that the fashion industry has a great influence on how men and women perceive themselves as ‘picture perfect thin’. Miss India Connecticut is the first pageant to add a key measurement of healthy weight, the body mass index or BMI, into the selection criteria, they say.

The release adds: “In line with our motto, we have removed the swim suit segment. We hope it serves as a catalyst for others, including many in the fashion industry, to create a more positive way for women to view themselves and hopefully begin to reduce obesity, anorexia, bulimia, low self-esteem and depression.”

Over the years, the pageant has received good support from the community and local dignitaries. Governor Dannel Malloy was the Chief Guest at the inaugural show in 2009. Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia hosted the pageant in Stamford in 2010. The former Indian Consul General in New York Prabhu Dayal, Congressman Jim Himes, Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesai, Senators Andrew McDonald, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Murphy and John DeStefano have attended past pageants to show their support.

AmeriCares, a non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, was the partner host for the 2012 pageant.