New York-Based Model on Truth, Tradition, and Tragedy: ‘Chinese Regime Must Fall in Due Time’

In her view, the 'biggest crime' is to corrupt the very essence of humanity—our basic morality.

New York-based model, Sumaya Hazarika for est.form by Oona Dmello and Sohni Patel. (Courtesy of Shoeb Mashadi via Sumaya Hazarika)

With her heart rooted in tradition and faith, a New York-based model is walking her path confidently in a world plagued by the forces of social chaos.

Hailing from hilly northeastern India, Sumaya Hazarika is fast making a name for herself in the fashion world. The young model—who graced the ramp in Saint Sintra’s 2022 New York Fashion Week—has worked in London, Los Angeles, Dubai, India, and Tokyo. Her most recent campaign was with Tod’s, a well-known Italian fashion label.

The resilient model doesn’t shy away from being the voice of the voiceless or exposing the grave human rights abuses of the Chinese regime. Hazarika believes hard work and passion help in “perfecting every little detail” in any shoot.

“Fashion and style for me are stimulated by our true self, which is effortless, and that makes it dazzle,” Hazarika told The Epoch Times. “In a materialistic world like ours, it is very easy for all of us to get caught up with the perpetual need to make life better, and the chase is always external. But for me, it has been an internal journey of exploring the treasures within.”

Early this year, Hazarika modeled for Artist Fashion, an upcoming brand that has over a decade of experience in designing clothing for the world-class dancers of Shen Yun Performing Arts. “Artist Fashion is about reminding everyone and making people realize the need for the timeless universal values of truth, compassion, and tolerance,” she said. “It has active dancewear, and now, they are introducing casualwear too.

“I felt lucky to have been a small part of this big project of reuniting the world’s people with these values.”

Sumaya Hazarika for Est. Form by Oona Dmello and Sohni Patel. (Courtesy of Shoeb Mashadi via Sumaya Hazarika)

A Perfect Arrangement

Born in the Indian state of Nagaland, Hazarika was raised in a traditional family, and pursuing a career in the fashion world was never on her wish list.

“I never in my wildest dreams thought of becoming a model,” she said. “As most Indian families are into academic studies more than anything else, I always thought of getting a regular job and settling down just the same.”

Then came a turning point that led her to step into the limelight. When Hazarika was studying in the Indian capital city of Delhi, she and her friends planned to participate in the Mood Indigo Festival, the cultural and signature festival of the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Although her friends backed off at the last moment, Hazarika flew to the city of Mumbai—the heart of the Indian film industry—to participate in the event.

That one step made all the difference.

The charming, full of life Hazarika caught the eyes of Anima Creatives—a talent management firm that exclusively represents Indian and international models, photographers, stylists, and hair and makeup artists. The company then scouted the model-to-be, which, in retrospect, Hazarika believes was “perfectly arranged.”

Sumaya Hazarika walks the ramp for brand Forsomeone. (Courtesy of Forsomeone via Sumaya Hazarika)

‘All of Us Are Fully Abundant Within’

Hazarika says the start of her modeling career was surprisingly smooth and kept her busy. However, not long after, she struggled with self-doubt.

“Just like any other job, I had my necessary low point too,” she said. “That’s when I started questioning everything in life and if I had made a mistake by taking up this profession impulsively. Now I know that was anxiety, something I never experienced before.

“For a college graduate who was seeking an independent lifestyle, modeling was a good beginning. But I wasn’t prepared for the downside of the profession and that hit me hard, making me develop self-doubt.”

Sumaya Hazarika modeling for brand Pilgrim surf supply. (Courtesy of Kodai Ikemitsu via Sumaya Hazarika)

Styled by Manuel A. Mendez, makeup and hair by Daphne Chantell and Marilyn. (Courtesy of Anisha Sisodia via Sumaya Hazarika)

Hazarika came across a traditional way to cope with the buildup of anxiety.

Around that time, in 2017, Anima Creatives was conducting sessions on the mind-body practice of Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa). She attended one of the sessions to learn the meditative exercises and felt a tangible change in her energy levels.

“It was astonishing to me how all of the negativity that my mind was harboring just vanished right after that session,” she recalled.

Encouraged by her experience, the budding model continued to practice the ancient self-cultivation system. She says it was “very self-empowering” for her to learn to accept the reality of what was happening around her and to direct her attention inward, looking at her thoughts and consciously remedying and putting a check on any negative emotions while dealing with testing situations.

“This was an important lesson I learned from the practice,” said Hazarika, who has been practicing Falun Gong for the last six-plus years.

Sumaya Hazarika practicing the meditative exercise of Falun Gong at Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Sumaya Hazarika)

Falun Gong is a spiritual system rooted in the Buddhist tradition. Its core tenets are truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It is currently practiced in more than 80 countries by more than 100 million people for its health benefits and moral appeal.

“Physically, I feel full of energy, and mentally content,” Hazarika said. “And as simple as it sounds, it’s an entirely extraordinary feeling, especially in today’s world, which is sadly quite chaotic.”

As she read through the main text of Falun Gong—“Zhuan Falun,” which has been translated in more than 40 languages—Hazarika was drawn in by its profound moral teachings and found answers to many of her life questions. “I felt reconnected with my spiritual self and inspired to learn more about it. Among many other things, Falun Gong taught me about how all of us are fully abundant within and that nothing beside that really matters,” she said.

Sumaya Hazarika modeling for Ogaan India. (Courtesy of Vansh Virmani via Sumaya Hazarika)

Heart Rooted in Tradition

A successful model in the ever-changing world of fashion, Hazarika hasn’t forgotten her roots. It was always the simplest things of life that inspired her.

“I like to live simply,” she said, adding that that’s probably the reason she feels uplifted by the traditional Chinese culture. “Even learning the Chinese language taught me so much about people and their innate nature. Every Character in Chinese vocabulary holds immensely deep and unique meanings behind them.”

Hazarika says the virtues of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance have transformed her very being. The fashion world presents opportunities to meet new people with varied mindsets and different cultural backgrounds; following the moral principles of Falun Gong, she is able to forge healthy, trustworthy, and lifelong relations with others.

“I know to be true to myself and treat everyone kindly in any circumstance, and also, be tolerant and not get moved by friction,” she said.

Navigating through demanding situations, Hazarika says, she has learned to manage the sudden stress one can be put under. Sharing her secret, she said: “When I feel like everything is a mess and the future doesn’t seem so bright, I try to take this very feeling as a reminder that it will pass as soon as the situation has achieved its purpose, because I believe everything has a purpose of occurrence.”

An Indie Studios production, creative direction by Sam Bates, styling by Menessah Bibby. (Courtesy of Andrew Tyler White via Sumaya Hazarika)

An Influencer

Being a student of anthropology and having a clear understanding of our God-given rights, Hazarika takes her social responsibilities seriously. She says she is well aware of her role as a conscientious individual and ensures to support and lend voice to the voiceless.

She has been actively working on spreading awareness of the human rights violations happening in China, especially the genocidal campaign of persecution against Falun Gong. Twenty-three years ago, former leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Jiang Zemin initiated a nationwide campaign to “eradicate” Falun Gong, as he viewed the peaceful practice a threat to the regime’s totalitarian ideologies. Since 1999, countless adherents have been arrested and tortured, many losing their lives.

“I feel heartbroken by this fact every day," Hazarika said. “The persecution of over 100 million practitioners in China is being orchestrated brutally and many brainwashing stories have been spread through the CCP-controlled media.”

Sumaya Hazarika (C) participates in a New York parade exposing the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of Falun Gong, on May 13, 2022. (Zhang Xuehui/The Epoch Times)

Hazarika said she was alarmed to learn about the CCP’s forced organ harvesting from the prisoners of faith.

“Being a good person and spreading kindness is only natural for a human being,” she said. “To go after corrupting this very essence of humanity is the biggest crime for me.

“In all honesty, I don’t indulge in politics of any kind, but when I hear about everything the CCP has done to destroy the most ancient and revered Chinese culture and its precious historical remnants in the country, it becomes clear as day to me the communist regime is not good for the country, or even the world for that matter.”

Hazarika feels compelled with all her heart to seek out ways to put an end to this brutality. “In a world where people are becoming more and more aware of their rights each day and are free to believe in things that they want to, in China, its people are severely brainwashed and prohibited from knowing facts about its own truths and tragedies,” she said.

Often when her counterparts from China first learn about this decades-long persecution, they usually struggle with a mental blockage due to the Chinese regime’s disinformation and propaganda news, despite being abroad. However, Hazarika said she has noticed a change in these people over time as they come across uncensored information.

“I am sure of the fact that the persecution of a practice—as pure as Falun Gong—will end very soon. And anything as counteractive to nature and humanity as communism and the Chinese regime must fall in due time,” she said.