Journalist and famous writer Khushwant Singh. PHOTO: AFP
According to his son, the well-known writer died at his residence in Sujan Singh Park in Delhi.
"He liked to call a spade a spade. He hated hypocrisy, fundamentalism, and was a gentle person," his son told NDTV.
Singh was the founder and editor of Yogana, editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India, the National Herald and the Hindustan Times.
Some of his most famous works are Train to Pakistan, I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale and Delhi.
He has also written the novel The Sunset Club, the non-fiction classic A History of the Sikhs, the autobiography Truth, Love and a Little Malice and a number of translations and works on Sikh religion and culture.
A respected figure in the world of literature, he had won many awards and honours including the Rockefeller Grant in 1996 and the Padma Vibhushan - the second highest civilian award in India - in 2007.
He also wrote Urdu poetry as well as about nature and current affairs.
Condolences poured over Twitter following his death:
Rest in peace, #KhushwantSingh. What a life you lived,& what stories you told.The Punjabi who lived as he wrote,& leaves a place all his own
— Mehr Tarar (@MehrTarar) March 20, 2014
https://twitter.com/ajmaljami/status/446566918355689472
What a fabulous writer he was, RIP - Indian author Khushwant Singh dies at 99 http://t.co/9mIpnRbtpW
— Salman Siddiqui (@salmansid) March 20, 2014
The writer of 'Train to Pakistan', Khushwant Singh, is no more. What a loss he is to both India and Pakistan. May he rest in peace.
— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) March 20, 2014
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