Women have done better than men in Haryana: Manushi Chillar

TNN | Sep 20, 2017, 02:00 IST

Manushi posed for LT as she arrived in Lucknow at the airprort (BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)

By Adnaan Rizvi

The newly crowned fbb Femina Miss India World 2017 Manushi Chillar, is taking her responsibilities of a Beauty With A Purpose very seriously. The Haryanvi beauty was recently in Lucknow to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene under her initiative - Project Shakti. "It was a bit scary to know that girls and women in rural areas are using not just clothes but also hay during their menstruation which is causing a lot of infections to them. Hardly anyone was using sanitary pads when I talked to the people of a village in UP," said, Manushi when we met with her.

Sharing her thoughts about menstruation Manushi says, "India mein jab bhi hum blood dekhte hain toh usko koi na koi disease se associate kar diya jaata hai. And that's because menstrual myths were created when science couldn't explain why it happened to women. But now things have changed and people should understand that it's a very natural process that every girl undergoes."

While sharing her experience of winning the title of fbb Femina Miss India World 2017, Manushi says, "Not everyone gets what I am getting at the age of 20. Meeting celebrities and other great personalities is like a dream come true."

But for the girl who was pursuing her first-year of MBBS from BPS Medical College in Haryana, Manushi didn't miss a single day of her college in her first year and has now taken a year's leave to focus on the Miss World 2017 pageant to be held in November. "I kept my attendance at 100% because I didn't know what the result would be in my first year. After I won Miss India, I knew that I had to focus on Miss World, so I took a year's break from my studies. I am planning to continue my studies from where I left after the Miss World competition," says Manushi who says she is not thinking beyond Miss World as of now. "Currently, I am just focusing on the Miss World competition and later, whatever will be suitable for me I will go for it. Be it my studies or making a debut onscreen, or maybe I will be able to balance them both."

Belonging to a state which was once considered backward, Manushi feels that the mentality of the people of Haryana is changing now. "I agree that in a state like Haryana, women were not allowed to grow. But when I won the competition, the way my state celebrated was really overwhelming," says Manushi adding, "If we talk about achievers, women have done better than men in Haryana which is changing the whole scenario of the state now. I get hundreds of messages on Twitter and Facebook from Haryana girls asking how they can participate in Miss India and be a model or follow their passion. It makes me happy that the girls of the state are thinking about breaking age-old barriers and of having a career."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/lucknow/women-have-done-better-than-men-in-haryana-manushi-chillar/articleshow/60750392.cms