Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu Sunday became the third person from India ever to be crowned Miss Universe.
The 21-year-old model showed both depth and the ability to think on her feet.
TV host and emcee Steve Harvey came under criticism when he he made a special request for Sandhu saying “I hear you do some pretty good animal impersonations, let’s hear your best one,” CNN reported.
“Oh my god, Steve, I was not expecting to do this on the world stage. I have to do this, I have no other option. Brace yourselves, everyone,” said the surprised contestant from Chandigarh. She followed with a few meows.
Later in the Q&A session, she spoke out against climate change.
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“This is the time to take action and talk less,” she said. “Prevent and protect is better than repent and repair.”
Earlier she had a message for any young woman watching and urged them to speak with their own voice and to believe in themselves.
Miss Paraguay Nadia Ferreira and Sandu’s Miss India were the final two contestants standing. Sandhu nearly buckled to her knees in tears and clasped her hands in a prayful gesture after hearing her name called as the winner.
The pageant held in Eilat, Israel endured some controversy. The judges chose Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane as second runner up. Mswane came under pressure from her own government to boycott the pageant to protest Israel’s treatment of Palestine, reported USA Today.
The Palestine-lead movement only succeeded in getting one contestant to pull out of the pageant.
“We urge all participants to withdraw, to avoid complicity in Israel’s apartheid regime and its violation of Palestinian human rights,” said the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel wrote, according to Al Jazeera.
Indonesia and Malaysia did not send a contestant, citing the pandemic and not the boycott. The United Arab Emirates also did not send a contestant, citing a timing issue in naming a representative.
Actors Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000 were the only previous Miss Universe winners from India, reported NDTV.
Miss USA Elle Smith from Kentucky made it into the top 10.
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