Balraj Puri (1928-2014) was an Indian

Political commentator A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport). Origins The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowledg ...

and human rights activist.

Career

A committed peace activist Balraj Puri began his career in journalism in 1942 and since then has worked in or edited several publications. In his 68 years of public career, he has played a crucial role in

Indian politics Politics of India works within the framework of the country's Constitution. India is a parliamentary democratic secular republic in which the president of India is the head of state & first citizen of India and the prime minister of India is t ...

. He mediated the famous 1975

Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah (5 December 1905 – 8 September 1982) was an Indian politician who played a central role in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir Abdullah was the founding leader of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (later rena ...

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...

accord. He worked for communal harmony across India particularly in

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

and Delhi. From India's first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru to the present Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Puri was constantly consulted on various aspects of the Kashmir issue. He also played an important role in restoring peace in Punjab in the 1980s.

Awards and recognition

Puri was conferred the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

in 2005,one of India's highest civilian honors, in Literature and Education. On 31 October 2009 he was honoured with

Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration The Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration is a prestigious award accorded by the Indian National Congress, after Indira Gandhi, a former Prime Minister of India. The award is given annually, starting from 1985, to distinguished persons/ ...

at Delhi by the then Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...

. Singh described Puri's book ''Kashmir towards Insurgency'' as a primer for anybody trying to understand the intricacies of Kashmir issue. Singh also remarked Balraj Puri's life has been one of selfless service to the society and to our country. It has been a life dedicated to the cause of promoting peace, good-will and communal harmony. It has been a life spent in building bridges between regions and communities.

Bibliography

* ''J.P. on Jammu and Kashmir'' (2005) * ''5000 Years of Kashmir'' (1997) * ''Kashmir Towards Insurgency'' (1993) * ''Jammu & Kashmir: Triumph and Tragedy of Indian Feder'' alism (1981) * ''Jammu – A Clue to Kashmir Tangle'' (1966)

References

External links

Human Rights Journal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puri, Balraj Indian political journalists Journalists from Jammu and Kashmir Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education 1928 births 2014 deaths People from Jammu (city) 20th-century Indian journalists Writers about the Kashmir conflict