Miss Deaf Asia 2018, Nishtha Dudeja Wants Us To Know: I’m Possible!

Posted: October 27, 2018

Born without the inability to hear, Nishtha Dudeja nonetheless has a strong will to succeed and the ability to work incredibly hard. Here’s a toast to the recent winner of Miss Deaf Asia 2018.

Nishtha Dudeja recently won the Miss Deaf Asia 2018 title at the Miss and Mister Deaf World – Europe – Asia Beauty Pageant 2018 held at Prague. Hailing from Panipat, Haryana, a state which has the lowest gender ratio in India, Nishtha made the country proud when she became the first Indian to win this pageant.

‘What a moment! It was overwhelming…It is certainly something I will cherish forever! For the first time, India won any crown at Miss and Mister Deaf World pageant. I’m glad that I won this crown for India” – Nishtha Dudeja

‘Nishtha’- her name aptly encompasses her dedication, meaning as it does the same. She has proved herself and lighted up the path for several others.

Silence.

That is what you hear when you read the word DEAF.

Absolute silence. Deafening Silence.

But if you stop and listen with your heart, you’ll hear the sounds of love emanate through every inch of their hearts. Their powerful silence speaks, that one may hear only with their hearts.

What a proud moment it is for all of us! She is more than equal to any other human being – so please stop calling her ‘disabled’. If a person has insurmountable determination and willpower, they can do wonders. So, where does the label ‘disabled’ fit with such an amazing person? I firmly believe that such people are gifted in other fields, and that there is no room for the word ‘DISABLED’. They have their own talents as everybody else and work tremendously hard to achieve their goals.

For those of us who can hear, we often allow unwanted energies and gossip enter our lives as sounds, which ends up consuming our precious time and energy. We then realize how much positivity has been soaked away from our life. Today we know that a focussed life can help you experience wonderful opportunities. If you are positive and hardworking, your environment shapes your success.

Nishtha’s parents were a great and consistent support for her. They helped her chase her dreams, and were always there for her. She now wants to help the underprivileged, without focusing only on her own comfort. She believes that people like her don’t need pity but only deserve equal opportunities. Her parents were initially upset to discover her inability to hear, but they didn’t lose hope and supported her to achieve what she is today.

Nishtha is a graduate from Venkateshwara College in Delhi University, and is presently pursuing an MA in Economics from the prestigious Mithibai College, University of Mumbai. Apart from excelling in studies, she is also a brilliant tennis player and has participated in Deaflympics 2013 (held in Sofia, Bulgaria), World Deaf Tennis Championship 2015 (held in Nottingham, UK) and Deaflympics 2017 (held in Samsun, Turkey).

To prepare for this pageant, she stopped all other things and concentrated only on winning this contest. And she did prove that she is the best in whatever she tries to achieve. This victory at the international level has given her a vision of an equal world. This is a story of a woman who dared to dream.

Nishtha has taught us all that do not need to wait and watch for success to come to you – but that if you work hard with determination, nothing is impossible…It’s always I’m Possible!

Image Courtesy Nishtha Dudeja – on Instagram