Meet Mr and Miss India

It WAS a night of glamour and glitz at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya on Monday when the delegates of the Mr and Miss India TnT took to the big stage for a night of competition.

In the end the beautiful models Sabrina Bissessarsingh and Anushka Nirupa Dube took the top prizes for the Miss India TnT contest. Bissessarsingh will representing TT at the Miss India International pageant which is due to take place in India at a date to be announced, while Dube will be making the trip to the USA for the Miss India Worldwide competition later this year. Also in winners’ row was the strikingly handsome Shiva Sookraj who took the title of Mr India TnT.

Sookraj will be making the trip to India for the Mr India pageant later on. The other winners of the Miss India TnT include: Lianna Sinanansingh (3rd), Amrita Vishnu (4th) and Nisha Maraj (5th). For the Mr India TnT — Lennie Ghiseawan placed second and Kevin Ramsawaksingh placed third.

In the “intelligence” segment of the competition, Sabrina sent the crowd in a frenzy when she spoke. In answering the question of what event stands out in her mind she replied, “I can still remember the gunshot that was fired at my brother. He was hit in the mouth and he survived this attack. He could have been dead. My heart goes out to the victims of crime in this country.

The children such as Sean Luke and Amy Anamanthodo who are made to suffer and die at the hands of the criminals.” The charming Anushka then took the microphone to answer her question: What obstacles you have to conquer to reach the success you want in life? She replied , “I am constantly faced with people who put me down and make me feel like I am nothing. I have learnt how to disregard this and move on and attain the success I need to grow as an individual in this land.”

Mr India TnT replied to his question of whether he supports same sex marriages by saying that marriage is a bond between two people. “We should support each individual and his or her choice of partner for marriage,” he said. The pageant which is under the direction of Mahendra Rampersad and the D’ Vikash Youth Cultural Group has been promoting national and international beauty pageants for the past four years.

Rampersad said that this pageant remains the only forum for East Indian men and women of TT to display their heritage with pride, dignity, showcasing their rich traditions, culture, and East Indian fashions. Delegates, both men and women paraded in traditional wear depicting the various styles of East Indian fashions.

The theme of this year’s pageant “Children of East Indian Culture” was in keeping with the 161st anniversary of East Indian Arrival in TT. Among the guest performers at this event was the blind singer Asha Camache who placed fourth at the National Chutney Soca Monarch competition earlier this year.

Asha who was accompanied on stage by the CCT Vikash dancers, was well received by the audience. The show was punctuated with songs and dances done by the CCT Vikash Dancers, Molly Bridgelalsingh, and Anil Pity of the Caribbean Vibration Orchestra.