Slain navy officer's wife faces abuse by Hindutva trolls for condemning hate against Muslims, Kashmiris

Himanshi Narwal, the wife of slain 26-year-old naval officer Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the recent Pahalgam attack, became the target of vicious online abuse by Hindutva trolls after she called for peace and urged people not to direct hatred toward Muslims and Kashmiris.

Vinay and Himanshi had recently tied the knot and were on their honeymoon in Pahalgam, a popular tourist spot in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), when unidentified gunmen opened fire on tourists.

Vinay died on the spot, while Himanshi sat motionless beside his body. A heart-wrenching photo capturing that moment went viral, symbolising the emotional toll of the tragedy.

Following the attack, Muslims and Kashmiris across India faced harassment and violence in public spaces, at the hands of far-right Hindu nationalists who accused them of supporting Pakistan.

Read: Indian woman calls Pahalgam attack Modi govt's conspiracy against Muslims

Speaking to the media after the tragedy, Himanshi appealed for calm and compassion.

"People going against Muslims or Kashmiris, we don't want this. We want peace, and only peace," she said.

"Of course, we want justice. The people who have wronged him should be punished," she added.

Her message of unity, however, sparked backlash from Hindutva supporters who began trolling her online for refusing to condemn Muslims or Kashmiris.

The same individuals who earlier shared AI-generated images of the tragic moment to express sympathy with Himanshi turned against her, accusing her of having past relations with Kashmiri men during her university days.

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The trolling grew so severe that India’s National Commission for Women (NCW) issued a statement condemning the abuse and cyberbullying, calling it “extremely reprehensible and unfortunate.”

Himanshi was not alone in facing the backlash. The daughter of another victim, killed in the same Pahalgam attack and hailing from Kerala, was also trolled for praising Kashmiri men who helped rescue affected families during the chaos.