{{Short description|Indian journalist, columnist and political worker (1949–2026)}} {{multiple issues| {{Sources|date=April 2026}} {{advert|date=May 2023}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | image =File:Balbir Punj.jpg | name = Balbir Punj | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1949|10|2|df=y}} | birth_place = Lalowal, East Punjab, India | death_date = {{Death date and age|2026|4|18|1949|10|2|df=y}} | death_place = | office1 = Former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | constituency1 = Uttar Pradesh | term_start1 = 2000 | term_end1 = 2006 | predecessor1 = | successor1 = | constituency2 = Odisha | term_start2 = 2008 | term_end2 = 2014 | party = BJP | spouse = Shashibala Punj | children = 2 | website = https://balbirpunj.in/ | footnotes = | date = 22 November | | year = 2010 | | source = http://india.gov.in/govt/rajyasabhampbiodata.php?mpcode=213 }}
'''Balbir Punj''' (2 October 1949 – 18 April 2026) was an Indian journalist and columnist who wrote on events in Hindi-English newspapers and magazines from the early 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2024/Mar/05/demand-for-decolonisation |title=Demand for decolonisation}}</ref> He specialised in writing about social, economic and political issues.
Punj started his career in journalism for the publication Motherland in 1971. He worked for Financial Express from 1974 to 1996. He then worked for The Observer of Business and Politics (a business daily published from Delhi and Mumbai) as an Executive Editor from May 1996 to March 2000. He was also chairman of the IIMC, a Southeast Asian media training organization, for two years until March 2000. Punj also participated in the Delhi Journalists Association, where he served as President for two consecutive terms between 1989 and 1991. In 1993–95, Punj worked as the General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). He was chairman of the National Commission for Youth.<ref>{{cite news |title=GOVERNMENT SETS UP NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR YOUTH SHRI BALBIR PUNJ TO CHAIR THE COMMISSION |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/releases98/lyr2002/rmar2002/21032002/r2103200211.html |access-date=16 June 2022 |work= Press Information Bureau |date=21 March 2002 |language=en}}</ref> He was also a member of the Delhi Finance Commission established by the then Delhi Government in 1996–97.
On 18 May 2022, Punj was conferred the Lifelong Devrishi Narad Samman Award.<ref>{{cite news |title=पत्रकारिता में विशेष योगदान के लिए वरिष्ठ पत्रकार बलवीर पुंज को मिला देव ऋषि नारद सम्मान, दिल्ली में इंद्रप्रस्थ विश्व संवाद केंद्र में देव ऋषि नारद पत्रकार सम्मान समारोह 2022 का आयोजन किया गया |url=https://twitter.com/News18UP/status/1526956247672848385 |access-date=16 June 2022 |work=News18 India |date=18 May 2022 |language=hi}}</ref>
==Columnist== Punj wrote columns in the National English & Hindi Daily and Indian weekly magazine. He later wrote a regular column for the daily newspaper ''Punjab Kesari'', ''Dainik Jagran'', ''Amar Ujala'' and a bunch of other regional papers. In English dailies, he occasionally wrote for ''Hindustan Times'',<ref>[https://www.outlookindia.com/author/balbir-k-punj-935 "Columns by Balbir Punj", ''Outlook India'']</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Kashmir Files: A tale of horror and gross injustice |url= https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/the-kashmir-files-a-tale-of-horror-and-gross-injustice-101649341513082.html |access-date=16 June 2022 |work= Hindustan Times |date= 8 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Beyond the chintan shivir, Congress's existential crisis |url= https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/beyond-the-chintan-shivir-congress-s-existential-crisis-101653228976690.html |access-date=16 June 2022 |work= Hindustan Times |date= 22 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> ''The Indian Express''<ref>[https://indianexpress.com/profile/columnist/balbir-punj/ "Columns by Balbir Punj", ''Indian Express'']</ref> and "ThePrint".<ref>{{cite news |title= Left and liberals have crafted a delusory narrative of inevitable Muslim genocide in India |url= https://theprint.in/opinion/left-and-liberals-have-crafted-a-delusory-narrative-of-inevitable-muslim-genocide-in-india/940005/ |access-date=16 June 2022 |work= ThePrint |date= 3 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Until some time ago, Balbir Punj was also writing for years in “The New Indian Express”,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20161204220413/http://www.newindianexpress.com/author/Balbir-Punj "Columns by Balbir Punj", ''The New Indian Express'']</ref> ''Asian Age'',<ref>[http://archive.asianage.com/content/balbir-k-punj "Columns by Balbir Punj", ''Asian Age'']</ref> Mail Today (''India Today''),<ref>[https://www.dailyo.in/user/9941/balbirpunj "Columns by Balbir Punj", ''DailyO (India Today)'']</ref> and ''Outlook''.<ref>[https://www.outlookindia.com/author/balbir-k-punj-935 "Columns by Balbir Punj", ''Outlook India'']</ref>
==Political career== Punj was a columnist and an active political worker. He was a member of Rajya Sabha for two terms. Punj was Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh from 2000 to 2006. In 2008, Balbir Punj was again elected a member of Rajya Sabha from Odisha and retired in 2014. He was the convener of the Intellectual Cell of the BJP for a decade, helping the party chart its ideological course. Punj was also chairman of the National Commission for Youth (Minister of State status).<ref>{{cite news |title=GOVERNMENT SETS UP NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR YOUTH SHRI BALBIR PUNJ TO CHAIR THE COMMISSION |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/releases98/lyr2002/rmar2002/21032002/r2103200211.html |access-date=16 June 2022 |work= Press Information Bureau |date=21 March 2002 |language=en}}</ref> On 31 March 2013, he was promoted as one of the Vice Presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).<ref>{{cite news|last=bjp announce core team|first=bjp announce core team|title=bjp announce core team|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-announces-parliamentary-board-narendra-modi-reinducted/382191-37-64.html|access-date=31 March 2013|newspaper=ibnlive|archive-date=2 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402012508/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-announces-parliamentary-board-narendra-modi-reinducted/382191-37-64.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Punj has served BJP party as its national secretary, and as in charge of several states, including Gujarat, Punjab, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh. Member of BJP's National Executive from 2000 to 2014. He was a board member (Non-Official) of Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala India-Nepal Foundation (BPKF) under Ministry of External Affairs, India since July 2017.<ref>{{cite news |title= B.P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation 34th Board Meeting on 20-21 July 2018 at Gangtok, India |url=https://in.nepalembassy.gov.np/2585-2/ | date= 21 July 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Introduction |url= https://in.nepalembassy.gov.np/introduction/ |archive-date= 25 August 2020 |access-date= 16 June 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200825104705/https://in.nepalembassy.gov.np/introduction/ |url-status= dead }}</ref> He is described as a close associate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.<ref>{{cite news |title=RSS may make Aligarh Muslim University's minority status an issue in poll bound Uttar Pradesh |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/rss-may-make-aligarh-muslim-universitys-minority-status-an-issue-in-poll-bound-uttar-pradesh/articleshow/52825480.cms/ |access-date=16 June 2022 |work=The Economic Times |date=20 June 2016 |language=en |archive-date=20 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620101742/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/rss-may-make-aligarh-muslim-universitys-minority-status-an-issue-in-poll-bound-uttar-pradesh/articleshow/52825480.cms |url-status=dead }}</ref> Punj was also seen on news channels debating issues.
==Death== Punj died on 18 April 2026, at the age of 76.<ref>{{cite news |title=Balbir Punj, journalist-turned politician and BJP veteran, passes away |url=https://ianslive.in/balbir-punj-journalist-turned-politician-and-bjp-veteran-passes-away--20260418211805 |access-date=18 April 2026 |publisher=IANS live |date=18 April 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Former RS MP, senior BJP leader Balbir Punj passes away |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/former-rs-mp-senior-bjp-leader-balbir-punj-passes-away/article70878678.ece |website=The Hindu |access-date=19 April 2026 |language=en-IN |date=19 April 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Rajya Sabha Members from Orissa}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Punj, Balbir}} Category:1949 births Category:2026 deaths Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Punjab Category:Indian male journalists Category:People from Gurdaspur district Category:Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh Category:Rajya Sabha members from Odisha