NEW DELHI: Veteran journalist and former Resident Editor of The Hindu in Delhi K K Katyal passed away here today after a brief illness. Katyal, 89, came to be known as the face of Delhi Bureau of The Hindu, which had launched its Delhi edition in 1986.
Prior to joining The Hindu, Katyal had worked in The Statesman and Hindustan Times. He had a stint with United States Information Services as well. A widely travelled journalist, Katyal had wide contacts in diplomatic and political circles. He was awarded the G K Reddy Memorial prize in 1994 by the then Prime Minister P V Narsimha Rao for his insightful columns and analytical write-ups.
Hailing from Jhang in present-day Pakistan, Katyal worked towards improving Indo-Pak ties and after his retirement in 2004 he was associated with the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA)'s India Chapter as President.
Katyal is survived by wife Sudarshan and daughters Anita and Sugita, both journalists. Congress President, Sonia Gandhi has condoled the death of Katyal.
Describing him as a conscientious chronicler of the Nation's evolution over decades, Gandhi said that his contributions will be remembered always.