What next for Miss Bhutan?
Oct 15, 2008-Thimphu: Miss Bhutan 2008, Tsokye Tsomo Karchung, will leave for the Philippines soon to contest with beauties from 86 countries in the Miss Earth pageant on November 9.
Talking to BT, the winner, still in the glow of the crown, said she will use her fame to help AIDS patients, sex workers, prisoners, substance abusers, and victims of domestic violence.
“When all forms of freedom to live a normal life is lost, there is one human freedom left no one can take away and that is the freedom to change your attitude,” she said.
We need to have an open heart to perform a social service. I want to be the bridge that joins society with the victims, she said.
“I have to approach a lot of organizations with proposals, and if we are to achieve Gross National Happiness we need to look after this people too,” she said.
Though there are help centers in Bhutan like the RENEW, and the National Commission for Women and Children, getting the victims to talk is another matter altogether, according to Tsokye Tsomo Karchung.
“At the end, I want to be the voice of the youth, the voice of the disadvantaged, the voice of the disabled, and the voice of the unfortunate. When they cannot speak, I will speak for them,” she said.
Helping people in terms of need is not a new thing to Tsokye Tsomo, though. Even as a student in high school, this 24-year-old used to solve disputes around her neighborhood.
“My family used to call me the Changzamtog gup when I was young. When I saw anything happening I used to get involved. I used to fight for my maid when she was abused by her husband,” she recalled.
She also expressed her desire to work with school students and said she would approach the education ministry for access to the students.
Though Miss Bhutan will be traveling to Taiwan to participate in Miss Young International 2008 in December, Tsokye Tsomo wants to make a difference here in the country, instead of traveling abroad for beauty pageants.
“Understanding is a human quality; skeptics may think I have had a comfortable life. But I understand, I mix around, I have rolled in the dirt and played like normal kids. I know poor people,” she said.
She added she would groom all the future Miss Bhutans for international pageants.
By Tanka Raj Subba (Bhutan Times)