Himanshi Narwal, widow of Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal who was killed in the Pahalgam attack on April 22, has been facing abuse on social media for urging people not to be hostile towards Muslims or Kashmiris.
According to NDTV, the couple, who were married days before the Pahalgam attack, were visiting Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) for their honeymoon when the deadly attack left 26 people, including the Navy officer, dead.
Heartbreaking visuals of Narwal sitting beside the body of her husband also went viral on social media.
The terror attack triggered angry responses on social media, with a section of people targeting Kashmiris and Muslims.
However, the navy officer’s widow appealed to the nation not to be hostile towards Muslims or Kashmiris.
“I want the entire country to pray for him (Vinay), that wherever he is, he has found peace. That is all I ask,” she said. “There is something else I wish to say. I see hatred is growing, directed at Muslims and Kashmiris. We do not want this. We only wish for peace, nothing else,” Narwal said. She also demanded that those behind the attack be brought to justice.
But the appeal for peace drew a wave of abuse directed at the young woman.
While some made vile remarks about her personal life, others said she must not get her husband’s pension. Amid the trolling, many people supported her and urged authorities to take note.
Condemning the trolling, India’s National Commission for Women (NCW) said: “The whole country is hurt and enraged by this attack. After Lieutenant Vinay Narwal’s death, the way his wife, Himanshi Narwal, is being targeted on social media for a remark is extremely condemnable and unfortunate. Targeting a woman for her opinions or trolling her about her personal life is not acceptable at all.”
