A 25 year old inspiring beautiful lady from Arunachal Pradesh defies the stigma attached to the field of modeling and participates in a beauty pageant. At the pageant she deifies the odds stacked against her having to compete with girls from bigger cities and emerges a finalist.

Born in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, Chum Darang represented the state in ‘Miss Earth India’ beauty pageant contest in New Delhi and now is one of the finalist. She has her eyes set on the Miss Earth India 2016 crown and is not leaving a single stone unturned.

Here in an exclusive virtual interview with Chum Darang “Miss Earth India 2016” Finalist.

TNT : Describe yourself.

Chum :I am an optimistic person, so wherever I go in life I always carry positivity along which helps me. People often have this ‘misconception’ that I am not a warm and welcoming person, but I always prove them wrong.

The word that describes me best would be ‘free-spirited’.

TNT: Your interest in beauty pageants…when did it start?

Chum: It started back in 2007 when I was just 16, but the actual moment of realization came when I won the title of Miss AAPSU in the year 2010.

TNT: If not for a beauty pageant, what would you have done?

Chum:I would have definitely been a teacher. Teachers are the sculptures of the society. They get the best out of a human being. Teaching is one of the noblest jobs in the whole world. Teacher, I believe, are the catalyst of change and largest contributors to society.

And I can proudly say that I was a teacher in the past.

TNT: Who is your ideal beauty queen and why?

Chum:My mommy is my ideal beauty queen and my dad is my hero! I have said this before and I will say this forever…nobody can ever replace them. Two beautiful souls whom I know will never leave my side and encourage me all my way, inspiring me at every step, help me stand up if I fall and tackle every obstacle that comes my way with a smile full of valour!

My ultimate muses, my parents.

TNT: What advice can you give to young people who want to join beauty contest?

Chum:I advice aspiring beauty queens to be super confident – your goal must be firmly borne in mind because this is where you’ll get to compete with some of them tough competitors. The question is, ‘can you?’ Yes! You definitely can! All you have to do is believe in yourself and never lose hope.

TNT: Any beauty queens or models from Northeast that inspired you or you know of?

Chum: There are lot of girls that I know from Northeast who are actually pursuing their dreams and excelling in it. Most recently, Miss Priyadarshini Chatterji from Assam brought laurels to our region by being the first girl from Assam and from the entire North East to win the prestigious Crown of Miss India World 2016. It’s is undoubtedly a matter of pride for all of us.

TNT: Do you have to explain to others when they ask you where you are from and how do you feel then?

Chum: Yes. I often encounter people who ask me silly questions every time, like,”are you from China?Are you from Tibet, you an Indian? At first I used to get offended but eventually I realised, that there’s no point getting offended because the fault lies with them for not knowing the geography of their own country. It bothers me less now though even to this day I get racially biased comments questioning my presence in a national pageant. My reply is a dignified “I am Indian”.

TNT: Your message to our fellow readers?

Chum: Thank you so much for reading my interview. It feels good when someone actually appreciates what you do. Let us work for a better tomorrow, let us respect every individual regardless of their color, race and gender, let us welcome development but also help preserve the beauty of the green mountains, blue rivers and natural plains. Thank you!

A quote she shared on her Facebook page – “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now”-African Proverb.

And it is for her simple thoughts and actions that we at TNT – The Northeast Today believe she is an ideal candidate for Miss Earth India 2016. We wish her luck for the pageant and her future.

-Nocy Rangsa Marak