On what would have been Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal’s 27th birthday, his wife, Himanshi Narwal, stood tall in her grief, choosing peace over hate, and compassion over rage. Just days after her husband was brutally gunned down in a terror attack during their honeymoon in Pahalgam, she made a heartfelt appeal to the nation—not for vengeance, but for unity and healing.
Himanshi, a PhD scholar from Gurugram, addressed reporters with a quiet dignity that belied the enormity of her loss. “I just want the nation to pray for him. Wherever he is, I hope he is healthy and happy,” she said, her voice trembling yet resolute. In the face of communal fault-lines that such tragedies often deepen, Himanshi was unwavering in her message: “We don’t want people going against Muslims or Kashmiris. We want peace and only peace. Of course, we want justice.”
#WATCH | Karnal | “…We don’t want people going against Muslims or Kashmiris. We want peace and only peace. Of course, we want justice,” says Himanshi, wife of Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack. pic.twitter.com/LaOpBVe7z2
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Karnal, Haryana: On the birthday of the late Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, his wife Himanshi says, “I just want the entire nation to pray for him, that wherever he is, he remains healthy and happy…” pic.twitter.com/8MdugaqmOg
— IANS (@ians_india) May 1, 2025
Her words came during a moving blood donation camp held in Karnal, Haryana—Lieutenant Narwal’s hometown—on his birth anniversary. The camp was organised by the Karnal-based National Integrated Forum of Artists and Activists (NIFAA) to honour his memory. As blood was donated to save lives, the symbolism was not lost on the gathering: while terrorists spilled the blood of innocents, citizens came together to give theirs to sustain life.
Narwal’s mother and Himanshi broke down during the tributes, surrounded by family, friends, Navy officers, and mourners. Among those present was BJP MLA Jagmohan Anand, who joined in paying respects to the young officer whose life was cut tragically short. In their speeches, many described Lieutenant Narwal as a spirited and devoted officer whose memory would endure in the hearts of those he served.
Just six days before the attack, Vinay and Himanshi had tied the knot in what was described as a union of two closely bonded families. They had planned a honeymoon in Switzerland, but visa delays led them to Pahalgam—a decision that changed everything. In a video that circulated widely after the attack, Himanshi is seen at the crime scene, distraught, describing how a man approached them, asked her husband if he was Muslim, and upon hearing “no,” shot him point blank. “I was eating bhel puri… and he just shot him,” she said through sobs.
Lieutenant Narwal’s colleagues remembered him as cheerful, courageous, and deeply committed to his duty. As per a report of Times of India, his sister Shristi, just 21, lit his funeral pyre on Wednesday in Karnal, surrounded by thousands of mourners chanting “Bharat ka veer amar rahe” and “Pakistan Murdabad.” Navy personnel fired a gun salute as the nation bid farewell to one of its bravest. The TOI report provided that speaking to Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini at the funeral, Shristi voiced her anguish: “He was alive for some time, but no one came to help him. I want them [the terrorists] dead.”
Yet even in the shadow of such pain, it was Himanshi’s refusal to give in to hate that stood out. She could have spoken the language of vengeance, the kind so often heard in the aftermath of terror. But instead, she chose to uphold the values her husband lived and died for—peace, justice, and unity. Her appeal was not just for justice in the legal sense, but for the moral integrity of a nation that must not let violence divide it further.
As per the Hindustan Times, NIFAA chairperson Pritpal Singh Pannu perhaps captured the spirit of the day best when he said, “A young officer with his whole life ahead was lost to terrorism. Soldiers shed blood to protect us, but today, we shed our blood to save lives. That is our tribute.”
No act can undo the pain. No tribute can replace the future stolen from a newlywed couple dreaming of their life together. But in choosing to stand for peace amid heartbreak, Himanshi Narwal reminded the country of what courage truly looks like.
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