Noted novelist and journalist Khushwant Singh passes away at the age of 99

Noted novelist and journalist Khushwant Singh passes away at the age of 99.Khushwant Singh was best known for his trenchant secularism,humor, and an abiding love of poetry.He served as editor of several literary and news magazines, as well as two newspapers, through the 1970s and 1980s. He is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in India.

As a public figure, Singh has been accused of favoring the ruling Congress party, especially during the reign of Indira Gandhi. He is derisively termed as an Establishment Liberal. Singh's faith in the Indian political system has been shaken by events such as anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination, in which major Congress politicians are alleged to be involved. But he has remained resolutely positive on the promise of Indian democracy.

Mr Singh was a Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1986. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974 but returned the decoration in 1984 in protest against the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Indian Army. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan..