Operation Sindoor: Navy officer Vinay Narwal's grieving widow Himanshi thanks govt, but requests ‘not to end…’

Operation Sindoor: Pahalgam terror attack martyr Vinay Narwal's wife, Himanshi Narwal, thanked the Indian government for Operation Sindoor. However, she requested the government not to “end it here” and make sure that this is “the start of the end of terrorism”.  

“My husband was in the defence forces and he wanted to protect the peace, protect the innocent lives. He wanted to make sure that there is no hatred and terror in this country. I am thankful to the government, but I request them not to end it here. I want them to make sure that this is just the start of the end of terrorism in our country,” Himanshi Narwal told PTI.

Himanshi Narwal's husband – Vinay Narwal – who was a Lieutenant in the Navy, was among the 26 killed in the deadly terror attacks that shook Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

Navy officer Vinay Narwal and Himanshi had tied the knot just days before the terror attack and were in Kashmir for their honeymoon when the tragedy unfurled.

Indian military's Operation Sindoor

Days after the Pahalgam attacks, the Indian military launched Operation Sindoor in the wee hours of Wednesday, striking nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Hailed as the Indian military’s most far-reaching operation yet, Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, marks the first time since the Army, Navy, and Air Force have come together for a united operation since the 1971 war.

Himanshi Narwal trolled

Earlier, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had strongly disapproved of how Himanshi Narwal had been treated on social media, following her comments about the Pahalgam attack.

The NCW stated that "trolling a woman on the basis of her ideological expression or personal life is not acceptable in any form".

Himanshi Narwal faced massive flak from social media users after she urged people not to spread hatred in the name of religion or be hostile towards Muslims or Kashmiris.

What did Himanshi Narwal say?

In her first public remarks since the attack, Himanshi Narwal had 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 growing, directed at Muslims and Kashmiris. We do not want this. We only wish for peace—nothing else," Himanshi said.

Alongside her call for unity, the Navy officer's widow also demanded that the perpetrators of the attack be brought to justice. Her remarks subsequently drew varied reactions on social media.