Imlibenla Wati
Eastern Mirror Nagaland
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The authors of this page are …
Imojen I Jamir
Yupangnenla Longkumer
Childhood
Born 1995
Even as a little girl, Aben wasn’t a dainty, girly person. She had problems with wearing skirt to school. She refused to go to school with skirts. And whenever any boy in her class taunted her, she never sat in a corner and cried but stood for herself and for sure a clenched fist swinging in action. She fought with almost all the boys in her high school.
Hailing from the erstwhile “land of fashion and music”; presently and officially tagged as the “land of pioneers”, Mokokchung, Imlibenla from Changki Village spent her boisterous teens full of activities- footballs, drums, bikes, kick-boxing and other pastimes that would normally be related to a highly energetic guy
She is a sportswoman (plays football; does kick boxing and goes to gym too.) in the field, and a keen drummer. She was a rock-n-roll teenager.
During her high school, she was very much active in school academic activities. To name a few, she represented Nagaland in National Level Science Exhibition while she was in class 9 and she was awarded student of the year when she was in the 12th standard.
Beauty queen at 17
However, in 2012 when she won the Miss Nagaland crown, things started to change bit by bit in her life. Eventually, she started to love the newly found interest in glitz and glamour fashion world.
Aben, as she is commonly known, was the youngest title holder of Miss Nagaland who was crowned in the year 2012 at the age of 17. She held the title of the first runners up of Miss Mokokchung the same year. She was the subtitle winner of Miss Perfect 10 in both Miss Mokokchung and Miss Nagaland. Aben also won the Readers’ Choice in Miss Nagaland in 2012.
Studies resume
Besides her modelling career, she joined as a BA LLB (H) law student of NEF Law College in Guwahati.
Prasantt Ghosh, one of the judges for the North East region and a well-known fashion designer and choreographer in the North East, has high marks for Aben and considers her highly talented. He affirms she is doing very well in the training and has high hopes for her. Ghosh opines that some personalities from Nagaland has made remarkable strides in the world of fashion and glamour at the national level and encourages other talented Nagas to venture out of the state as bigger and better opportunity awaits for those that dare and endeavor.
Politics
2012: Supports a campaign
Shortly after her 2012 Miss Nagalnd crown, debates on the involvement of Aben in elections were highly discussed in some circle. When queried regarding her participation in the election and other rumours thereof, this is what she had to reply-
“The fact of the matter lies in me supporting a campaign during the last election which I felt was right then. My question is now- “Could our rights be curbed as to impose or throw certain selfish values that we are deemed a no brainer”? All I did was exercise my rights… When you see a candidate enthusiastic about helping with a zealous approach and a charismatic personality, of course, I would want to support and vote for him. For me, it’s either black or white. Being diplomatic here only implies dirty politics. I wonder if our rights have gone obsolete as clearly laid by our constitution. It still amazes me how the picture continues yet… “.
2017: Joins NPF
Beauty queen Imlibenla Wati turns to politics| 22nd August 2017 | Morung Express
Imlibenla Wati, then 22, was appointed as the General Secretary of the Central Youth Wing of Dr. Shürhozelie-led NPF on August 18 last. She was also appointed the “NPF Ambassador for Clean Election.” At a time when Nagaland state politics is going through an unstable situation
Morung Express asked her: The division within the NPF is there for everybody to see. Why have you chosen to support Dr. Shürhozelies’s group?
Imlibenla Wati: Ever since I became politically conscious, I’ve had the heart of a regionalist because I believe in its principles and ideals. I chose to join NPF, being the regional party that work towards the Naga Solution.
Looking at our leaders today, it is sad to see that many do not uphold principle and sway in whichever direction their selfish motives take them. However, I find Dr. Shürhozelie as a man of principle. He has been one of the active members of the regional party in Nagaland - UDF, later NNDP, NPC and presently NPF - since its formation and so far he has remained loyal to the party and not given in to temporary lures and attractions.
Along with this, I don’t know if the other group can really be called NPF. They consist of a mixed group of opportunists who have abandoned their principles.
Morung Express What if the luck is not on the side of Dr. Shürhozelie? Will you still continue working as the General Secretary in the NPF Central Youth Wing?
IW: We have a legitimate reason to the entitlement of the Party symbol. However, if fate has other plans, and as the question states, the judgment is not in our favour, then with much humility I will step down from the post on moral grounds along with our leader, Dr Shürhozelie.
Break down?
A year or two after her Miss Nagaland crown of 2012, when her modelling career started zooming up, there were rumours that she was on the edge of breaking down. IW responded ‘Rumours are meant to break us. I get to hear different story every day, that at times is hilarious, but at the end of the day, it’s just a rumour.’
Miss India Elite contest, 2015
Imlibenla Wati was selected from over 890 contestants from the North East to represent the region in the Ru-Ba-Ru Miss India Elite contest, 2015. Besides her, two contestants from Assam, Nandita and Beauty Begam were chosen to participate in the national contest to be held at Delhi in the first week of October 2015 under the theme “Let’s make female foeticide a history”. Imlibenla stated that it was quite a shocking and a happy moment to win an entry into the Miss India Elite..
Miss World Beauty India 2015
Her focus then concentrated on the Miss India Elite contest. Three winners of Ru-Ba-Ru Miss India Elite contest, 2015 were to enter the Super models of the world contests where participants compete from 80 countries around the world.
Nagaland girl Imlibenla Wati was crowned Miss World Beauty India 2015 after winning the first-runner up title of Rubaru Miss India Elite. Wati, who is also former Miss Nagaland 2013, will now represent India at the Miss World Beauty International to be held in South Korea.
The event was held in Lavanya, Delhi, where Wati was declared the first-runner up among 25 finalists.
After winning the Miss World Beauty India contest, Imlibenla made a mark even in the international beauty pageant, Miss Pan Continental being one of the finalists (top 9) and sub title winner of tourism and humanity, doing India and Nagaland proud.
Miss Asia Pacific World 2016: represents India
Picture courtesy the Facebook page of: Hybrid Movement Dance Team and Event Organizer Mokokchung
Imlibenla Wati was selected to represent India at the Miss Asia Pacific World 2016 in October 2016 at Shanghai in China.
This was announced in a press note issued by the Beauty and Aesthetics Society of Nagaland (BASN) based on a communiqué from Big Break Entertainment, which is the official partner for India. The franchise of this prestigious Beauty Pageant was previously with FEMINA followed by ‘I AM SHE’- a company led by former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen.
Miss Super Talent was formerly known as Miss Asia Pacific. Mention may be made that Zeenat Aman won the title of Miss Asia Pacific in 1970, followed by Tara Anne Fonseca and Bollywood diva Dia Mirza in 1973 and 2000 respectively. Also, Himangini Singh Yadu was crowned Miss Asia Pacific World in 2012 & Shrishti Rana won the international title in 2013; she was the 2nd runner up at Miss India pageant.
Miss SuperTalent of the World 2016: runner-up
December 4, 2016 TNT News The North East Today
Imlibenla Wati from Mokokchung has bagged the runners-up title at Miss SuperTalent of the World 2016 whereas Miss Peru and Miss Czech republic were declared the winners of the pageant.
She was quoted as posting on her Facebook page, “It has been an exhilarating ride for me at the super talent of the world competition and all the hard work paid off tonight as I emerged runner up!!To God be the glory!! I am so grateful to Big Break Entertainment and I owe so much to my national directors Anil Sharma and Simi Sharma without whose help I wouldn’t have been able to come so far”.
Imlibenla Wati from Mokokchung was given an opportunity by Big Break Entertainment to represent India at Miss Asia Pacific 2016. She was also officially declared as Miss Asia Pacific-Super talent India 2016 recently. Nagaland’s very own reigning Miss World Beauty India Imlibenla Wati recently made history by being the first Naga lady to represent India at the Miss World Beauty Queen in South Korea.
See also
Miss Nagaland, on which page there are more biographical details and photographs of Imlibenla.
...and also
Additional information, current as well as old, about district- and even village-level contests in Nagaland may please be sent as messages to the Facebook community, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be gratefully acknowledged in your name.
Miss Dimapur <> Miss Dimapur 2012<> Miss Dimapur 2013 <> Miss Dimapur 2014<> Miss Dimapur 2015<> Miss Dimapur 2016<>Miss Dimapur 2017<>Miss Dimapur 2018<>
Miss Kohima<><>Miss Kohima<> Miss Kohima 2016<> Miss Kohima 2017<>Miss Kohima 2018<>
Miss Mokokchung<>Miss Mokokchung 2015<>Miss Mokokchung 2016<> Miss Mokokchung 2018<>
Miss Nagaland<>Miss Nagaland 2015<>Miss Nagaland 2016<>Miss Nagaland 2017<>Miss Nagaland 2018<>
Miss Phek 2017<>Miss Sumi <>Miss Wokha, Miss Tokhu
Veineinem Singson<> Imlibenla Wati <> Vilokali Zhimomi
Other articles about North-East Indian popular culture:
Cinema
The link Cinema-TV-Pop at the bottom of this page will lead you to a fuller list of articles about the cinemas of North-East India (and other South Asian regions). Indpaedia has a large number of articles about Assamese and Manipuri cinema. Assamese cinema Manipuri Cinema North-Eastern cinema
Popular music
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Fashion
Akuonuo Khezhie Atsu Sekhose Edward Lalrempuia Esther Jamir Kethose Nagi Lin Laishram Miss Arunachal Miss Mizoram
