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After the deadly attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 28 people lost their lives —including 25 tourists and a local Kashmiri guide— the wife of Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal is facing online hate and abuse by Indian users for speaking up against spreading hate towards Kashmiris and Muslims. Lieutenant Narwal, 26, was from Karnal in Haryana. He had recently married Himanshi Narwal. The two were on their honeymoon and had gone to visit the Baisaran Valley. On April 22, while the couple was eating bhelpuri, Narwal was gunned down. “We were having bhelpuri when a man came and shot my husband,” Himanshi can be seen in a video shared after the attack. Despite being heartbroken, Himanshi stood next to her husband’s coffin in Delhi and gave him a final salute. “I pray that his soul rests in peace… We will make him proud in every way,” she said. Videos of her bidding a tearful goodbye to her husband were also widely shared on social media. Later, in her interviews, Himanshi made a heartfelt request. She said that only the people responsible for the attack should be punished—and that innocent Muslims should not be blamed or attacked. But this simple and emotional message didn’t go well with many people online. Soon after her videos went viral, hateful comments started pouring in. One user, @viklondon13, wrote, Fk you and the Islamists who killed Col. Narwal. And fk this dumb widow as well.” Another user, @shubham63542589, commented, All of sudden u love defence personnel, what a hypocrite u guys are haha, we don’t give a fk about her.” At the same time, after the attack, Kashmiris living outside the Valley—students, business persons, and even shawl sellers—have been facing anger and violence. In states like Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, many Kashmiris have been thrown out of their rented homes, and some shopkeepers have refused to deal with them. Students have reported being beaten and chased, and many ran to airports to fly back home for safety. However, very few people spoke about or praised the courage of Syed Adil Hussain Shah—a local Kashmiri pony operator who died while trying to protect tourists during the attack. He tried to take a weapon from one of the militants and was shot in the head. His cousin, Nazakat Ahmad Ali Shah, saved 11 tourists from Chhattisgarh by risking his own life. Even with such bravery from local Kashmiris, online abuse hasn’t stopped. One person, @keshavkn, replied to a post defending Kashmiris, saying, “Your brothers ki*led her husband! Have some shame to come on Twitter!! BM !!” Another wrote, “Chup be khatmulle.” This attack has not only taken innocent lives but also led to anger, fear, and hate against Kashmiri Muslims across India. Many Kashmiris now feel unsafe outside valley. [Except the headline the story is not edited by NewsEye Desk, and is taken from FPK]
