Miss Nepal pageant blocked by ruling Maoists

Kathmandu, Sept.15 : The new Maoist regime in Nepal, it seems, does not take kindly to beauty pageants or modeling.

Communists believe that their brave new world is being debased by such activities, which they describe as tawdry and bourgeois.

Organizers of the Miss Nepal competition here have had to cancel their show after the Maoists simply made it impossible for them to go ahead with it.

From the moment the Maoists secured a surprise victory in the April's elections, the organizers of the competition have been in trouble, with their traditional venue being used as a temporary home for the country's new parliament.

Now they are desperately searching for somewhere else to hold the contest, after being forced to postpone the show for a second time in the face of a concerted campaign against them.

The contestants were hoping to compete for the honor of representing their country at the Miss World finals in Ukraine on October 4, the Scotsman reports.

The Communist Party of Nepal says that the competition is socially unacceptable and a tool to exploit contesting women for commercial gain.

The Maoists have warned other venues not to consider offering the contest a new home.

ANI