The Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Govt of Goa, in association with the All India Deaf Arts and Cultural Society (AIDACS), New Delhi, and the Goa Association of the Deaf is organising the 10th Miss and Mister Deaf India 2023, an annual beauty pageant for the deaf youth of India as part of the Purple Fest in January from the 6th to 8th, 2023.
The event, which will be held at the Gera School (TGS) Auditorium, Old Goa, provides the deaf youth community of India with a national platform to showcase their talent and venture into the mainstream fashion industry.
It also opens the doors for them to pursue any other dreams in such a field. The winners eventually participate in the Miss and Mister Deaf International, Europe and Asia pageants.
For the past 20 years, AIDACS has been organising events for both the senior and the junior categories of the deaf community in dance, drama and mime, which are then presented before the public.
Taking inspiration from Miss and Mister Deaf International held in 2008-2009, AIDACS decided to have the event, Miss and Mister Deaf India, to encourage the deaf youth of India to give them a platform to showcase their talents with the sole aim of empowering the deaf. It was also started to let the youth compete further at an international level.
This year the All India Deaf Arts and Cultural Society will be coordinating with the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Goa, and the Goa Association of the Deaf (GAD) to organise this event in Goa as part of the upcoming Purple Fest in January 2023 where it will be witnessed by a diverse audience.
The event has four rounds. First will be a casual round where the participants will be dressed in casuals, that is, in jeans, t-shirts, etc.
There is the culture round wherein the contestants from different states will dress up in their traditional state clothing, thus promoting their state’s culture.
The formal round with gowns and suits will be held next.
Lastly, there will be a talent round where the participants will present their talents such as dance, mime, etc.
Since the contestants are deaf or are hard of hearing, the question and answer round will be through Indian sign language.
For smooth communication between the audience and the contestants, professional sign interpreters have been appointed.
Speaking on the occasion, Taha Haaziq, Secretary, Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, stated, “We are looking forward to the 10th Miss and Mister Deaf India 2023 and believe this event will provide great opportunities for persons with hearing impairments in Goa, as this kind of event will be held in Goa for the first time.”
“Our expectations are very high. It will give our deaf community in Goa a different
Exposure and experience. Hopefully, it will inspire and motivate our deaf youth to venture into mainstream fashion,” says Prasad Joshi, General Secretary of the Goa Association of the Deaf.
“We are very excited to have the 10th Miss and Mister Deaf India in Goa with positive support from the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and GAD. Goa is full of energy, and we are working hard to make this event a memorable one. Arrangements for bus and train services are being made for the other states to promote the event,” said Monica Punjabi Verma, Vice President of AIDACS.
The event is expected to be a memorable one for all the participants and the audience who will witness this event, as it truly promotes the value of empowerment, equality, and inclusion.
For the past nine years, the event has been a great success. It has also given a platform to the winners to achieve new titles on an international level. Miss Deaf Asia was won by Nishtha, Deshana and Varsha previously. Vidisha Baliyan went on to win the Miss Deaf World in 2019.
