Misplaced Pages

Anishta Babooram (born in 1985) is a Mauritian activist and politician.

Education & activism

Anishta Babooram's father died when she was 10 years old and her mother brought up Anishta and her brother in the village of L'Escalier. She studied at Loretto Convent of Mahébourg before starting an internship in a local weekly newspaper. Later she studied law at the University of Mauritius. Babooram then went to England to study international law whilst working part-time at the Mauritian Embassy located in London. She founded non-profit organisation The Rising.

In 2012 she married Aditya Seeruttun, thus changing her name to Anishta Babooram-Seeruttun and she also relocated to Triolet. In 2014 she was nominated as member of the National Preventive Mechanism Division (NPMD) of the Human Rights Commission by the president of Mauritius. Hervé Lassemillante headed this small team of 3 people. Babooram signed a work contract of 4 years, but on 6 June 2017 it was rescinded without notice. She soon revealed that it could be due to her interview in November 2016 on private radio station Radio Plus when she spoke about the suspicious death-in-custody of police constable Arvind Hurreechurn after his arrest at the airport with 2 kg of heroin. A few days later, on 30 October 2016, the resident of Rivière-Du-Rempart was found dead in his jail-cell at the Moka detention centre, after apparently hanging himself from a hand-basin.

Political career

When she was 17 years old Babooram joined the youth league of the Labour Party. At the 10 November 2024 general elections, Babooram was a candidate of Alliance du Changement in Constituency No.11 - Vieux Grand Port and Rose Belle. She was elected in first place with 57.6% of votes. She took an oath as Junior Minister of Gender Equality at the State House on 22 November 2024.

References

1. Daby, Pradeep. "Anishta Babooram-Seeruttun de la commision des droits de l'homme : une meneuse de nombreuses luttes 19-Nov-2016". Defimedia. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
2. Gangaram, Jean-Marie. "Mort suspecte du constable Hurreechurn en cellule policière - Ses parents: Notre impossible deuil... 13 Feb 2018". 5Plus Dimanche. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
3. Putchay, Yamini. "Révoquée de la Human Rights Commission: Anishta Babooram vide son sac 7 June 2017". L'Express. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
4. "La grande fête des diehards 01-May-2011". 5Plus Dimanche. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
5. "Prestation de serment : déclarations des ministres et junior ministers 22-Nov-2024". Le Mauricien. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
6. "Results for National Assembly Elections". Government of Mauritius - Office of the Electoral Commissioner. Retrieved 7 December 2024.

• 1985 births
• Living people
• People from Grand Port District
• Government ministers of Mauritius
• Members of the National Assembly (Mauritius)
• Mauritian Hindus
• Mauritian politicians of Indian descent