Image courtesy- Wikimedia commons Khushwant Singh (2 February 1915 - 20 March 2014) was an Indian novelist and journalist. An Indo-Anglian novelist, Singh was best known for his trenchant secularism, [1] his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit. He served as the editor of several literary and news magazines, as well as two broadsheet newspapers , through the 1970s and 1980s. He was the recipient of Padma Vibhushan , the second-highest civilian award in India. Singh was born in Hadali District Khushab , Punjab (which now lies in Pakistan ), in a Sikh family. His father, Sir Sobha Singh (builder) , was a prominent builder in Lutyens' Delhi . His uncle Sardar Ujjal Singh (1895–1983) was Ex. Governor of Punjab & Tamil Nadu .death20march2014 He was educated at Modern School, New Delhi , Government College, Lahore , St. Stephen's Coll