Ideal 'Fauji Wife’ Hate Can't Touch: Lalita Ramdas, Indian Navy Kin Praises Lt Vinay Narwal’s Widow
By Pheroze L. Vincent
03.05.25
Himanshi Narwal Faced Right-Wing Backlash On Social Media For Her Conciliatory Stand Towards Muslims
Voice Of Sanity: Massacre Victim’s Widow Roots For Peace
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Lalita Ramdas; Himanshi Narwal/ PTI
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A daughter and wife of former naval chiefs has praised the widow of naval officer Lt Vinay Narwal, who was gunned down in the Pahalgam terror attack, for speaking out against “hate and targeting of Muslims and Kashmiris”.
In an open letter, Lalita Ramdas — the widow of late Admiral L. Ramdas and the daughter of late Admiral R.D. Katari — hailed Himanshi as the “perfect Fauji wife” for showing remarkable strength and stoicism while appealing for peace.
In the wake of reports of attacks on Muslims — especially Kashmiris — across the country, Himanshi told reporters in Karnal, Haryana, on Thursday: “I do not want any hatred for anybody…. People going against Muslims or Kashmiris, we don’t want this. We want peace and only peace…. Of course, we want justice. Of course, the people who have done wrong to him should be punished.”
She faced Right-wing backlash on social media for her conciliatory stand towards Muslims.
Lalita, who lives in Telangana’s Secunderabad, wrote: “I am so proud of you as I watch the clip of your words to the press, over and over again. Your extraordinary strength, composure and conviction when you speak out against hate and targeting of Muslims and Kashmiris after the horrific killing of so many innocent men in Pahalgam on the 22nd is truly remarkable! And so badly needed in our times.”
She added: “You are the perfect Fauji wife Himanshi, true to the spirit of the service, the Constitution and to our secular values. You are clearly a woman who knows her mind, and there could not have been a more courageous partner of a Navy man like Vinay. You have echoed the thoughts and feelings of every thinking citizen of this country.”
On social media, Himanshi’s comments were contrasted with those of Aishanya, the widow of Kanpur resident Shubham Dwivedi, who was also slain in the April 22 attack.
A distraught Aishanya told a news channel: “Don’t say that Hindus and Muslims should unite…. It is a big slap on our faces that this slogan of Hindu-Muslim unity has been finished.
“If we were Muslims, we would have reached home safely.... We were foolish (to think) that it is important only to be Indian. It is important to be Hindu…. But you aren’t safe anyway.”
Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a local ponywallah, was among the 26 people killed in Pahalgam. He was shot dead while trying to snatch a rifle from one of the assailants. Two Christians — IAF Corporal Hailyang from Arunachal Pradesh and Sushil Nathaniel from Madhya Pradesh — were also gunned down.
The first casualty in a counter-terrorist operation in Udhampur soon after the terror attack was Havildar Jhantu Ali Shaikh from Bengal’s Krishnanagar.
Arathi, daughter of one of the victims — N. Ramachandran from Kerala — told reporters after the incident that two Kashmiri taximen, Mussafir and Samir, had gone out of their way to help her.
“I had to wait in front of the mortuary till 3am and later return at 6am. During this time, they accompanied me like their own sister. At the airport, I told them that I got two brothers from Kashmir. I also told them that Allah would save them,” she said.
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Voice Of Sanity: Massacre Victim’s Widow Roots For Peace
May 03, 2025
IT’s heartening to hear a voice of sanity when anger and hatred are sweeping the country after the Pahalgam massacre. Himanshi Narwal, whose husband, naval officer Lt Vinay Narwal, was gunned down by terrorists in the Baisaran meadow, wants nobody except the perpetrators punished. “We don’t want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris,” she said at a blood donation camp organised on May 1 to commemorate Vinay’s birth anniversary. She chose the occasion to make a fervent appeal for peace and communal harmony, in stark contrast to the rabble-rousers who are baying for the blood of Muslims, particularly Kashmiris.
Himanshi has sent out a clear message to the bigots who are exploiting a national tragedy to target a minority community. A disturbing case has been reported from Agra, where a self-proclaimed cow vigilante allegedly shot dead a Muslim biryani vendor and later declared on social media that the murder was ‘retribution’ for the Pahalgam attack. The reluctance of political and religious leaders to condemn such vengeful crimes and hate speech is inexcusable — it threatens our secular fabric, which is already fraying at the edges.
The communal killings in Pahalgam were aimed at escalating Hindu-Muslim tensions and disturbing peace not only in J&K but across the country. Such nefarious designs can only be scuttled with a collective resolve. Gurmehar Kaur, whose father died fighting terrorists in J&K in 1999, has wisely said that the true defeat of terrorism comes when we refuse to let violence divide us. In the best interests of the nation, citizens should firmly shun those who are adding fuel to the fire. Central and state governments must crack down on the elements who are bent on making innocents pay for the heinous acts of terrorists. Only a united India can deal terrorism a crushing blow.
Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/editorials/voice-of-sanity/
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