(Image source from: IndiaToday)
Indian-American Shree Saini has been crowned Miss India Worldwide 2018 at the 27th annual global pageant for people of Indian-origin held in the Fords City of New Jersey.
In the pageant organized by the New York-based India Festival Committee (IFC), Sakshi Sinha from Australia and Anusha Sareen from the United Kingdom secured the first and second runner-ups. The pageant is said to be the oldest and largest event for the Indian Diaspora community.
Shree, 22, who had a pacemaker implanted at the age of 12 and was told that she would never be able to dance, is an inspiration for all. A sufferer of bullying in high school, she has been working against the oppressive behavior.
"I truly believe your legacy is defined by how you make others feel and the positive difference you make in your lifetime," said Shree, who started her non-profit organization, when she was 15. Shree said it was her dream to compete for a world title, which was started when she was in the elementary school.
Shree Saini, a resident of Washington state and a student at the University of Washington, was crowned Miss India United States of America 2017.
(Source: The Pioneer)
Indian-origin girls from 17 countries took part in the annual beauty pageant.
India's Mandeep Kaur Sandhu, who hails from Haryana, was crowned Mrs. India Worldwide 2018.
A mother to a boy, she lost her husband in a road accident in the first year of her marriage. "I decided to stay single to show to all those who told me that I cannot raise a child alone being a widow. I am here to represent all the widow women. If I can do it, you can do it," Mandeep said.
Jeya Priya Pandian from Malaysia and Kavita Malhotra Pattani from the USA were declared the first and second runner-ups of the Mrs. India Worldwide 2018 respectively.
The next edition of the Miss India Worldwide will be held in Mumbai in 2019, said Dharmatma Saran, chairman, and founder of the India Festival Committee that organizes the pageant.
"We are proud of the fact that we have been able to imbibe Indian values, tradition, and culture among Indian origin youths across the world," he said. "We have also been successful in promoting Indian performing arts in the world," Saran said.
-Sowmya
