Life ended the day we received news of his death: Father of Pahalgam terror attack victim Lt. Vinay Narwal

Karnal: A year into one of the worst terrorist attacks on tourists in India, life seems to have stopped there itself for families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Rajesh Narwal, father of slain Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was one of the victims, on Wednesday said that life has never been the same for the family.

On April 22 last year, at least 26 people were killed after Pakistan-based terrorists opened fire on innocent civilians in the Baisaran valley of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

A newly-married woman sitting beside the lifeless body of her husband, Lt. Vinay Narwal, remains one of the most haunting images of the attack.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Karnal, the bereaved father said, “There is a world of difference between our life before receiving the news of the attack to what it is now. Before the incident we used to be happy and content, but now, life has been similar to a huge disaster. It is extremely difficult to pass each moment with this pain in our hearts.”

Rajesh Narwal shared that being the head of the family it is more tough for him as he has to manage his old parents, wife and daughter.

“I can’t even express my feelings to any of them because they get emotional whenever we discuss it. We are just going along with our lives as long as we have to live, otherwise it had ended the day we received the news,” he said.

He expressed that the void can never be filled and that such wounds don’t heal with time. “There is no ambition, no energy, nothing left in our lives,” he said.

Speaking about the dreams of his son who had just got married a few days before the dastardly attack claimed his life, Rajesh Narwal said, “His life as a Navy officer had just begun. He had made plans for the future about what all he wished to achieve and even used to maintain a diary for that. Sometimes I read that when I am able to gather courage. But I still don’t have the strength to carry on and fulfill his plans.”

However, Narwal was optimistic that maybe one day, he would be able to fulfill his son’s aspiration to work for mankind.

“He was such an honest child and achieved so much at such a young age. He never engaged in fights, not even with his siblings. Moreover, he used to jump into other people’s problems as if his own,” he added.

The father of the slain officer also spoke about receiving support from the government. “According to the protocol, the government and the administration have helped us. They also keep asking about our family’s well-being from time to time,” he said.

IANS