Operation Sindoor: The wives who were avenged
The name 'Operation Sindoor' is searing. In one word, it captures the unimaginable loss of the women whose husbands were killed in the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack. Sindoor - the vermillion applied in the parting of the hair by married Hindu women-became a national metaphor of mourning, as these women wiped theirs off not in private grief, but amid a wave of collective outrage.
In striking back with 'Operation Sindoor', India reclaimed the dignity of its citizens, especially its women, who bore the cost of peace with their partners' lives.
Here are some of the women who lost their husbands in the terror attack:
Himanshi Narwal
Himanshi Narwal is the young wife of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old Indian Navy officer from Haryana who was killed while on his honeymoon in Pahalgam. The couple had married just a week before the attack, tying the knot on April 16, 2025. In her first public remarks after losing her husband, Himanshi appealed for peace and urged people: "There should be no hatred towards anyone."
Aishanya Dwivedi
Aishanya Dwivedi is the wife of Shubham Dwivedi, a tourist from Uttar Pradesh who was killed in the Pahalgam attack. The couple had been married only two months earlier.
Shital Kalathiya
Shital is the wife of Shailesh Kalathiya, a banker from Surat, Gujarat, who was killed while on a family vacation to celebrate his birthday. Shital was at the meadow with her husband and their two children-a son and a daughter-when the terrorists struck.
Sohini Adhikari
Sohini is the wife of Bitan Adhikari, an IT professional from Kolkata who was killed in the Pahalgam attack. Bitan had been working in the US and was back in India on vacation. The couple had travelled to Kashmir along with their three-and-a-half-year-old son, Hridaan. On April 22, while they were enjoying the scenic meadow, Bitan was shot dead by terrorists.
Kajalben Parmar
Kajalben's husband, Yatishbhai Parmar, ran a salon in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. He had come to Kashmir with his family. They first attended a Ram Katha by spiritual leader Morari Bapu in Srinagar before heading to Pahalgam, where their trip came to a tragic end.
Pragati Jagdale
Pragati Jagdale is the wife of Santosh Jagdale from Maharashtra, who was slain in the April 22 Pahalgam massacre. The Jagdales are from Pune. Pragati has a young daughter, Asavari, who now faces life without her father.
Sheela Ramachandran
Sheela Ramachandran, from Kochi, lost her husband, N Ramachandran, 65, in Pahalgam. He was gunned down in front of his daughter and grandsons. Sheela had not joined them on the trip due to health reasons.
Jennifer Nathaniel
Jennifer Nathaniel, 54, is the wife of Sushil Nathaniel, a 58-year-old LIC branch manager from Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The Nathaniel family-Jennifer, Sushil, their 30-year-old daughter Akanksha, and 21-year-old son Austin-were on a private trip to Kashmir to celebrate Jennifer's birthday. When the terrorists confronted them, Sushil heroically urged his wife to hide and faced the gunmen alone.
Jaya Mishra
Jaya Mishra is the wife of Manish Ranjan Mishra, a 42-year-old Intelligence Bureau officer who had taken his family to Kashmir for a holiday but was tragically shot dead by terrorists in front of his wife and children in Pahalgam.
Each of these women endured a devastating loss in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow. It was their sindoor the Indian Armed Forces avenged on May 7.
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