Among the 26 people killed in the Pahelgam terror attack was Lieutenant Vine Narval — an army officer, a son, and a husband. In the hours after his death, the nation watched his wife. But when the nation turned its anger toward Muslims and Kashmiris in the wake of the Pahelgam attack, Himanshi Narval courageously stood before the country and said:
“People going against Muslims or Kashmiris — we don’t want this. We want peace, and only peace.”
Her words, meant to heal, were met with hate. Trolls descended. And why? Because she spoke of unity.
Some accused her of not grieving enough. Others claimed she was using her husband’s death to make a political statement. The worst were vile conspiracy theories alleging she was romantically linked to a Kashmiri Muslim — that her marriage was a front to extract military secrets.
The hate spiraled so badly that the National Commission for Women (NCW) had to step in.
In a statement, the NCW wrote:
“Many citizens of the country were killed in the terrorist attack in Pahelgam, Jammu and Kashmir. In this attack, Lieutenant Vine Narval was shot dead along with others after being asked about his religion. The entire country is hurt and angry over this terrorist act.
After the death of Lieutenant Vine Narval, the way his wife, Miss Himanshi Narval, is being targeted on social media in relation to one of her statements is extremely reprehensible and unfortunate.
Trolling a woman on the basis of her ideological expression or personal life is not acceptable in any form.
Any kind of agreement or disagreement should always be expressed with decency and within constitutional limits.
The National Commission for Women is committed to protecting the dignity and respect of every woman.”
Support came from Gurmehar Kaur, daughter of a Kargil martyr, who was trolled in 2017 for saying she wanted peace between India and Pakistan. Nine years later, she stood up again — this time for Himanshi.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she shared that she had been tagged in countless tweets from the right-wing ecosystem mocking Himanshi Narval. She also shared an emotional letter, which read:
“I watched your testimony with tears in my eyes. I’m around your age, and like you, I dream of love — of a life built hand in hand with someone I cherish.
To see that dream stolen from you in such a cruel, terror-fueled act broke something inside me.
I know this kind of loss — it never leaves you.
Your tragedy was ghoulishly turned into content. Grief turned into aesthetic, circulated not to mourn but to seed hate — not just against terrorists, but against Indian Muslims and Kashmiri citizens like any of us.
Your statement in the face of that loss was an act of grace and unimaginable strength.
You were entitled to your silence, but you stood up and said what few dare to say — that your husband’s memory must not be weaponized to vilify an entire community.
For that, you have become a hero to many of us.
I want you to know: this hate is not India.
They serve only their own narrow, hateful agendas.
Your husband would be so proud. And so are we.”
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