Chandigarh: Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu says Hijab is a choice, no need to politicize it

Chandigarh: Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu, who won the prestigious title of Miss Universe 2021, reached her hometown Chandigarh for the first time since she achieved this feat on Wednesday. Speaking to the media on her arrival, she made some unexpected revelations about her career plans and also registered opinions on the ongoing Hijab row in the country.

Hijab shouldn't be a political issue

Speaking on the Hijab row, Harnaz said, "If a woman is wearing Hijab, it is her choice to do so. Nobody has the right to decide what a woman should or should not wear other than herself. If this patriarchal society tries to dominate women over this, they should speak up against it. We are women from different cultures and we need to respect each other's choices. This issue should not be politicized," Kaur opined while speaking on the dais.

Childhood dream to be an IAS officer

As opposed to the conventional expectations, Kaur said she does not want to be in the world of glamor, and would rather like to join the Indian Administrative Services (IAS). "It is my childhood dream to become an IAS officer. I did theater during my graduation while at the Post Graduate Government College for Girls in Chandigarh. That is where I got the inspiration to enter the world of fashion," she said. Harnaaz is currently pursuing Masters's in Public Administration, which is why she wants to become an IAS officer.

Speaking about the support she received from her family, Harnaaz said that since childhood, her parents raised her without any restrictions. "They never stopped me from going anywhere. I had full family support when I decided to do theater parallelly with my studies," she said. Kaur's mother Rajinder Kaur is a gynecologist while her father is a businessman. Both have accepted my dream despite having their own status and encouraged me to move forward, she said.

Meeting with CM Bhagwant Mann

Harnaaz also met the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Singh Mann before making a public appearance in front of the media. "CM Bhagwant Mann himself has been a theater artist. I was impressed by his work earlier and when I met him today, I got inspired to work on various issues for Punjab. I used to see him as a great actor earlier, but now I want to work for Punjab like he is doing," Harnaz said. She further added that the problem of drug addiction in Punjab is pretty huge and needs to be worked on urgently. Implying that she wants to work for the eradication of drugs in the state, Kaur also showed a willingness to work for women's empowerment.

In a clip that went viral on social media a few days ago, Harnaaz had expressed her anguish over how often girls are targeted in society with reference to the ongoing Hijab row in the country. The video was shot during an event held on March 17 in the honor of the Miss Universe 2021's homecoming.