Indore: She has done it! Varsha wins Miss Deaf Asia, 2022

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): It’s hard being a woman in India. Being a woman with impairment is even tougher. But aren’t challenging times meant to make you better? At least that’s what Miss Deaf Asia, 2022, Varsha Dongre thinks. She is the second in the country to ever bring home this title.

Spend a moment’s thought about this inspirational student who hails from Indore and you’ll realise that even 100% hearing loss is not a disadvantage if you don’t let it be so.

Varsha, a hardworking ambitious girl who comes from a hearing-impaired family, won the Miss Deaf Asia, 2022, and was second runner-up in the Miss Deaf International, 2022.

She is a student of Indore’s Deaf Bilingual Academy who has several accolades to her name, including breaking all previous records by becoming the first hearing-impaired girl to win the title of Miss India.

Crowned Miss Deaf Asia, 2022, Varsha is the second Indian ever to win a title at the international pageant. But it’s not just this feat which is her crowning glory. She even competed further in the Miss and Mister Deaf International (MMDI) Competition, 2022, held in Tanzania, South Africa. There were participants from more than 15 countries who were participating in the competition. Even if Varsha could not win, she became second runner-up.

In conversation, Miss Deaf Asia, 2022, shares...

Interacting with us through a translator, Varsha shared her experiences and stories...

‘The international competition was different and a bit sad, too. The discrimination between black and white was visible, which was hurtful,’ Varsha says. She expressed her joy at being able to meet so many hearing-impaired people coming from various countries.

‘Their culture, sign language and costumes were different and beautiful... we must enjoy diversity,’ Varsha says. She missed Indian food and struggled to deal with international cuisines.

Varsha misses her dad the most during such feats as it was his dream to see his daughter become a supermodel. ‘I express thanks to Rajkumar Punjabi and Meetu Kohli for their support, along with my dear mother,’ she adds.