Dear Editor,

Mr Pradeep Samtani needs to tell us where in India these so-called Diwali beauty pageants are held to Mother Lakshmi, and if the learned teachers of the great religion of Hinduism would sanction such desecration. He needs to tell us if those involved with him in the Guyana National Diwali Committee are all practising Hindus.

I wish to call on the Hindu community to vehemently protest this desecration of the Mother of Light and Happiness (Mother Lakshmi). If Mr Samtani and his associates are so concerned about promoting beauty in Guyana, then they surely can organise beauty pageants outside of Diwali.

If the Maha Sabha was involved in promoting this contest in the past, that does not give the Diwali Committee the right, or provide it with any justification, to do likewise. As Hindus, we are guilty of accepting certain immoral practices in this country in the name of Hinduism. The time has come for this to stop, and we must collectively let Mr Samtani and the committee know that we do not accept such events in the name of Hinduism. This country is not short of such pageants and the committee needs to be told that responsible Hindus do not accept the resuscitation of a pageant which has no part in Hinduism and which has, for too long, been a blasphemy on our very sacred religion.

Yours faithfully,
Ramdular Singh