Krishna athal

Krishna Athal (Jawahar Lall Athal, born 20 April 1988) is a Mauritian youth leader known for his involvement in social awareness and development projects around Mauritius. He is currently the national president of La Voix Nationale, president of Non-Governmental Organisation, YUVA, served as chairman of the National Youth Council, authored Ramrajya: An Enigmatic Leader's Rise to Power, and is recipient of various national and international awards and recognitions.
Education
Athal's early education includes attendance at Ramsoondur Prayag State Secondary School as well as Royal College Port Louis where he obtained his Cambridge Higher School Certificate. Athal’s tertiary education then began in 2007 at the University of Mauritius (UOM) where he was enrolled in the field of Information Systems and via correspondence at the Institute of Commercial Management in the UK pursuing Journalism and Media Studies. However his attendance at UOM was predominantly focused towards his involvement in the Badminton Club, the launch of the youth periodical, INSIGHT, and his association with the Students’ Union. In 2008, Athal discontinued his academic attendance at the UOM and pursued his studies via correspondence.
Youth Involvement in Mauritius
INSIGHT
In 2007, Athal, along with fellow university students, launched the first-ever youth publication.., published by youth for youth - called INSIGHT. The magazine, which started with 4,000 copies in circulation in 2008 had grown to 48,000 in 2012. INSIGHT’s objectives included providing University students with a medium to voice their issues with life on campus, allowing the student unions to promote activities pertaining and affecting students, generally reporting university happenings in a news-style format like that of a mainstream newspaper, investigating a variety of issues on campus by creating talking points and transparency, and providing an outlet of entertaining content for students. The magazine was an initiative for students on campus to connect to their happenings as well as gain a better view on matters that were raised at a global level. A total of 47 publications were printed to date. In 2009, the university-registered association was converted into an independent registered association where it was then able to increase its publication production.
Youth Olympic Games
Another such involvement dates back to 2010, when Athal was among the two Africans selected, along with 28 other ambassadors, by the International Olympic Committee to participate in the Young Reporters Programme to cover the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. The purpose of which was to provide journalism students with a journalist-training platform as well as job experience while allowing the students to report on the regions they originated from. During the course of the games, Athal covered 26 sporting events, wrote press releases on a daily basis, worked on strategies to increase the Youth Olympic Games’ social media engagement. He worked in collaboration with reporters from Reuters, Xianhua News and the Young Olympian Daily.
National Youth Council
Athal is also recognised for his role as Chairman of Board at the National Youth Council (NYC) in 2012, a body corporate serving under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth and Sports that serves as a bridge between the Government of Mauritius and the nation’s youth sector. His appointment to the NYC is recorded as the youngest recipient of the position to date. While posted as chairman, the NYC worked on several projects including the organisation of Leadership Development Programmes in collaboration with other regional youth groups for the youth sector, the launching of an annual NYC magazine as well as other relief programmes and related youth empowerment activities around Mauritius.
YUVA
YUVA is currently a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) operating in Mauritius that was founded by Athal in January 2015. Currently posted at its head, Athal is responsible for working together with youth around the island in empowering themselves and their communities. The NGO encourages youth leaders within their own particular communities to engage with others and cooperate to leave a larger footprint within their objectives they have set out. As such, the organisation was created as a voice in society that represents the youth in one structured place, hoping that the youth would see their own potential and stand up to encourage change in their society for generations to come. Its activities include the introduction of reforms the members wish to see realised and encourage all forms of youth to get involved with action being the main key word in the organisation. The organisation has also launched a 12-step sustainable development goal objective which is collectively being worked on for adequate and successful implementation across Mauritius.
Ramrajya: An Enigmatic Leader's Rise to Power
Ramrajya: An Enigmatic Leader’s Rise to Power, is the first book authored and published by Athal. The project, which took just over a year to materialise presented Athal offering readers his thought patterns around the previous Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam. The book was centred around the Mauritian political landscape and featured in depth analysis into several themes relating to the previous prime minister as well as political themes of relevance to the country. It also offered a glimpse into a critical analysis of the previous prime minister and spoke about matters pertaining to control and power that were previously never written about in the country.
Controversies
University
In 2013, allegations of diploma falsification were directed towards Athal with media reporting that the UOM had lodged police complaints against him for document falsification. However, the charges were never brought against him as it was found that no actual case pertaining to such matter was in existence by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
National Youth Council chairman appointment under Labour Party and subsequent official joining of MSM in 2014
Another somewhat controversial matter that surfaced pertaining to public opinion and Athal involved his appointment to the NYC that took place under Labour Party rule in Mauritius. Assumptions that the appointment meant an official political allegiance was afoot made the rounds and public opinion surrounding the matter held up. Following the announcement then of the book to be published of the Labour Party leader further fueled speculation that the allegiance had indeed been made even though audiences were not aware what the content of such a book was to be. Midway during said book release project, right in the middle of general election campaigning, Athal publicly announced his membership to the then opposition party.
Speculation surrounding book release
When the book officially reached bookshelves, speculation had been that Athal had written a book of praise towards the former leader of the country. However, it was soon met with disdain on some parts while others believed that the content was bold enough to empower the change needed in the country itself
Personal life
Born into a middle-class Hindu family, Athal grew up and lives in the coastal region of Petit Raffray. His father, Birju Athal, is a retired Central Water Authority employee and his mother, Babita Athal is a housewife. Athal’s childhood dream was once to serve in the armed forces of the country, a wish he describes as wanting to serve the country and not sitting idly by. to adapt to the particular environments that he is involved in to ensure the leverage is steadily maintained and his digital brand presence is constantly growing
Awards & Recognition
Between the years 2005 and 2007, Athal received the Best Team Leader award from the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council. In 2006, he received the Mont Desir Mont Tresor Award from the Ministry of Environment and in 2008 Athal was the Best Rotaractor Award from the Rotary Club of Grand Baie. Under the theme, Youth Leadership & Community Work in Mauritius, Athal was awarded the Youth Excellence Award from the Government of Mauritius in 2009. In the same year, he also represented Mauritius at the One Young World Summit in the UK via e-conference as well as being awarded the National Coordinator Award from The Earth Action Mauritius. In 2010, Athal was the Mauritian Ambassador for both the International Youth Climate forum in Indonesia and the International Youth Seliger Award in Russia. He was also awarded the National Youth Excellency Award under the theme Entrepreneurship & Initiative for Employment Creation in Mauritius in the same year. In 2011, Athal was the African Ambassador at International Youth Peace Festival (IYPF) in India as well as again in 2012 along with being the Mauritian Ambassador at the COMESA Programme for peace and security. In 2015, he was a country representative at International Youth Against Terrorism, the Mauritian ambassador at the Asia-Pacific SF in Jakarta, a scholar of the International Sustainability School in Nepal, and the Mauritian ambassador at the annual youth dialogue for the Mandela Institute for Development Studies in Zimbabwe. In 2016, Athal was the Mauritian Ambassador at Vibrant Saurashtra Summit in India.

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