Youth in politics : young leaders making a mark

A new generation of politicians has embarked on a novel venture for this upcoming general elections. For some of them, the need for change in the Mauritian society has pushed them into the political arena. Being extremely active on the field, they look forward to working for a better Mauritius. Meeting some of the freshest political faces.

Nishta Jooty : “It will give me opportunities to bring the changes I want to see”

Candidate under the banner of L’Alliance Nationale in Constituency No. 16 (Vacoas and Floreal), Nishta Jooty, 35 years old, is proud and feels honoured. Pharmaceutical consultant and lecturer, she is all set to serve the country. “I have been involved with social work for more than five years now. In order to help more people and bring concrete changes, it is important to be part of policy making. Politics will give me better opportunities to bring the changes I want to see.”

She states that for a young lady to step into politics is not as easy as it looks. “As a first step, a lot of efforts are needed. I am doing my campaign every day and meeting people.” As a young candidate, she wants to focus on improving the life of the young generation. She avers that in order to bring changes, the young people need to have a stable job and social activities. “I believe that for the young people to be more socially engaged, they need to have job satisfaction and remain far from social ills. I look forward to be able to helping in bringing the proper balance in the lives of people.” 
 

Vashil Avinash Jasgray : “A battle against the mind-set to vote for big political parties”

Vashil Avinash Jasgray, 31 years old, is a candidate in Constituency No 12 (Mahebourg and Plaine Magnien) for Mouvman Zeness Morisien (MZM). A manager as profession, Vashil has a degree in Social Work and a Master’s in Project Planning & Management from the University of Bradford (Chevening Scholarship). He avers that being fully active in the political arena is a rich learning journey and a proud feeling. “I have been brought up by a single mom where I have witnessed poverty and how my mum struggled to give me and my sister the necessary resources for education. I have been working in all the pockets of poverty in Plaine Magnien and Mahebourg for National Empowerment Foundation and have seen how solutions are delayed by the elected members of the constituency.”

Having suffered so much from injustice, he decided to go into politics in a bid to help the poor and eliminate discrimination or any form of injustice. “MZM has a battle against the mind-set to vote for big political parties or to vote for the leader of the party. We are bringing a change, a new approach where people can have a choice to vote and vote someone who has proximity, competencies and engagement to do something.”

Dikshit Pothanah : “I want to make a difference” 

Dikshit Pothanah also known as Diksh Potter, famous photographer, is a candidate under the banner of Reform Party in the constituency No 13 (Rivière des Anguilles and Souillac). A resident of Moka, he has joined politics on seeing the reality around him. “It is sad that people are still facing a lot of sufferings. I want to make a difference and hence, join a party that shares the same vision as mine. I must say that unlike some people, I entered politics without spending millions. I am proud and feel lucky.”

The 32-year-old candidate highlights that his main priority is to find a solution to the problem of synthetic drugs which has been killing young people. “As a young man, I want to be in the skin of the young to be able to solve the issues they face.” Another priority, according to him, is that each person gets a roof over his head for himself. “Currently, a person needs to make a deposit in order to get a house. We want to abolish that.” 

Karen Foo Kune : “A society with more meritocracy” 

The MMM candidate in Constituency No. 20 (Beau Bassin and Petite Rivière), Karen Foo Kune, 37 years old, is enthusiastic to be part of the upcoming general elections. She underlines that she has prepared herself for this. For her, there are various reasons that pushed her into politics. But two main reasons are poverty and bringing a new era. “The poverty I have witnessed around me has opened my eyes for action. I am very moved when I see how poor people are. This is why I created a foundation ‘Badminton Pou Zenfan’ which works for the social integration of children through badminton and education.” 

She states that she has been on field for the last three months and she has been warmly welcomed. “I will work towards a better society with more meritocracy, social justice and representation of women.” It is to be recalled that Karen Foo Kune is not only a famous badminton player but has also been a municipal councilor of Beau Bassin/Rose Hill from 2012 to 2014. 

Kenny Dhunoo : “Bringing modernity and innovation for a better future”

Kenny Dhunoo, candidate in Constituency No. 17 (Curepipe/Midlands) for L’Alliance Morisien is feeling a sense of accomplished on this achievement of his. Head of Business Development, Kenny Dhunoo is a known figure in the social work. He has been engaged in various social activities. “I have joined politics as it is a platform for me to help more people. As a social worker, my reach was limited and there are some enabling factors that are needed to reach the population on a larger scale. Politics will eventually help me in this endeavor.” 

Being a young man, he looks forward to bringing modernity and innovation in the country so as to create a better future for the current generation and forthcoming ones. “It is time we bring more innovations and create dynamics in our society for the future generation.” 

He underlines that his campaign is going on smoothly and is very positive. “I was born and brought up in this Constituency. It is my home and I know the people. I believe in simplicity, equality, proximity and integrity. These are the qualities I imbibed.”