At a blood donation camp held in Haryana’s Karnal on Thursday, May 1, in memory of Navy officer Lt Vinay Narwal, his wife Himanshi Narwal made a clear appeal: “We don’t want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris.”
Lt Narwal, who was on his honeymoon in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, was shot dead by terrorists on April 22. The officer had married Himanshi just a week earlier. The blood donation camp in his hometown was held on what would have been his 27th birthday.
“We want peace and justice,” Himanshi said, speaking at the event organised by Karnal-based NGO National Integrated Forum of Artists and Activists (NIFAA). “Those responsible for what happened should be punished, but there should be no hate.”
Narwal’s family, including his mother and sister, were present at the event and joined the tributes. His sister Shristi thanked everyone who participated and said the support from people and the government had been overwhelming.
Addressing the gathering, NIFAA chairperson Pritpal Singh Pannu said, “A young officer who had years of service ahead was lost to terrorism. While soldiers shed blood on the battlefield, we are donating blood today in his memory—to save lives.”
Local MLA Jagmohan Anand and several others donated blood at the camp. “No tribute can fill the void,” one attendee said, “but this is the least we can do to honour his sacrifice.”