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Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Annihilate Pakistan, wipe out terrorism', Gujarat victims' family hail Operation Sindoor
RAJKOT/SURAT: "Annihilate Pakistan and wipe out terrorism," declared the families of three Gujarat victims of the Pahalgam terror attack . Their voices were heavy with grief, yet laced with a sense of justice over Operation Sindoor , India's reprisal to Pakistan over the dastardly April 22 strike. Yatish Parmar, aged 46, and his 17-year-old son from Bhavnagar, along with Surat banker Shailesh Kalathiya, were among the 26 tourists killed in the Baisaran valley carnage. Kajal Parmar, Yatish's widow, said, "We salute the armed forces and urge the govt to be unsparing against Pakistan till Pakistan is wiped out." Talking to the media, Kajal said, "I am very proud of the air strike carried out on Pakistan. I am grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and very happy today. Operation Sindoor Operation Sindoor: 'India won't give face-saving exit to Pak army chief Asim Munir' IPL 2025: BCCI suspends league for one week amid India-Pakistan tensions India-Pakistan tensions: What's closed, emergency protocols & more Keep carrying out such attacks and wipe out Pakistan, this is my prayer to Modi Saheb." "My son was in Class 12. He used to tell me frequently that he wanted to join the Indian Army and fight for the country. But before that, we went to Kashmir to attend Morari Bapu's 'Ram Katha' and visit Pahalgam, where they (terrorists) killed my son and husband. I want to see Pakistan destroyed completely," she added. "I have seen my son lying in a pool of blood and my husband lying beside him with a bullet shot in his head. I pray that no one ever falls victim to such a gruesome terror attack," she said. Kajal added, "Barely five minutes after we entered the Baisaran valley, there was firing in the air. My uncle screamed, asking everyone to run for cover. I had just reached the entrance gate and someone told us all to lie down on the ground. But after some time, when I approached my husband and son, both were dead." "We are satisfied with India's response but terrorism should be decimated," she said. Kajal's elder son, Abhishek, added, "PM Modi took decisive action against Pakistan. I lost my father and my brother, who wanted to join the army. Now Modi has given them a befitting reply," he said. Yatish, a barbering salon owner, went to Kashmir with Kajal and Smit, accompanied by her brother, his wife, and their son Sarthak Nathani. Kajal survived the attack, thanks to Sarthak's, aged 17, presence of mind. "It was over in five minutes. I saw it with my own eyes... they asked our religion before opening fire. Had it not been for my nephew, I wouldn't be alive today." In Surat, Sheetal, wife of Surat banker Shailesh, told the media that she was 'very satisfied' with India's action. "I am very happy with whatever the Modi govt has done to bring to justice the people who shot my husband and others in the name of religion. We have full faith in the govt that it will do whatever is right in the future as well." She said her daughter Niti is yet to recover from the trauma of seeing her father being killed in front of her eyes. "We were devastated. We appeal to the Gujarat govt to do whatever it can for the future and education of our children." Kalakhiya, who worked in the Kandivali, Mumbai, branch of SBI, went to Kashmir with Sheetal, daughter Niti, and son Naksh. Kalakhiya was to celebrate his birthday on April 23.
Mint
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
'Destroy Pakistan completely': Pahalgam terror attack survivor, who lost husband and son, reacts to Operation Sindoor
With the Indian armed forces struck down 9 terror outfit camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor on early Wednesday, a woman from Bhavnagar in Gujarat, who lost her husband and a son in the Pahalgam terror attack, hailed the move, reported PTI. While another Surat based woman, whose husband was also killed in the Pahalgam terror attack expressed happiness over the action and said she had complete faith in the government. Speaking to media persons in Bhavnagar, Kajalben Parmar said, as quoted by PTI, "I am very proud of the air strike carried out on Pakistan. I salute the armed forces and hail Bharat Mata. I am grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and very happy for the strike. Keep carrying out such attacks and wipe out Pakistan, this is my prayer to Modi saheb." On 22 April, her husband Yatish Parmar and their son Smit were among the 26 persons killed in Pahalgam by terrorists. The father-son duo was among three persons from Gujarat who lost their lives in the April 22 attack. "My son was in Class 12. He used to tell me frequently that he wanted to join the Indian Army and fight for the country. But before that, we went to Kashmir to attend Morari Bapu's 'Ram Katha' and visit Pahalgam, where they (terrorists) killed my son and husband. I want to see Pakistan annihilated," she added. Parmar's elder son Abhishek was happy for the action against Pakistan which came on the 15th day of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. "PM Modi took action against Pakistan on the 15th day. I lost my father and my brother, who wanted to join the army. Now that Modi has given them a reply, I am happy about that," he said. Wife of late Shailesh Kalathiya, Shitalben Kalathiya, too said she was "very satisfied" with India's action against Pakistan. "I am very happy with whatever the Modi government has done to bring to justice the people who came forward and shot my husband and others in the name of Hindus and Muslims. We have full faith in the government, and whatever it has done till now is proper. We have full faith that it will do whatever is right in the future as well," she said. She added that the terrorists killed the only earning member of the family and their daughter is not able to believe what happened to her father in front of her eyes. "We were devastated. We appeal to the Gujarat government to do whatever it can for the future and education of our children. I am very happy for the action against Pakistan," she said. Earlier on 22 April, armed terrorists killed 27 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam as they targeted Hindu tourists only. The terrorists entered the tourist spot in Baisaran Valley, and killed the people after asking their name and religion. This is considered to be the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. After 14 days of waiting, cancelling the Indus Water Treaty and several other diplomatic measures, India struck 9 terror outfit camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor. The attacks were well co-ordinated and no Pakistani army camps were targeted or hit, nor were any common people hurt. The details of the attacks were shared at a press conference by India's Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday morning.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Their souls will be in peace': Families of Pahalgam terror attack victims from Gujarat's Bhavnagar, after Operation Sindoor
'My son's dream was to join the Army and fight for the nation but now, look at God's will — it became the opposite,' says 45-year-old Kajalben Parmar who lost her 17-year-old son Smit and 46-year-old husband Yatishbhai in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, when the family was a trip to Jammu and Kashmir. She demands 'much more' than Operation Sindoor: 'This should only be a jhalak (glimpse) of the action taken by India against the terrorists who took away sindoor (husbands) and lives of their sons.' Kajalben told The Indian Express, 'Modi saheb (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is like God to us. We won't forget what the country and Army did for us. With the action taken by the Army and Modi saheb within 15 days of the attack, we are really feeling good. The terrorists who took away our husbands have been taught a lesson. The loss and grief cannot be forgotten for life but at least their soul will be in peace. Yatishbhai Sudhirbhai Parmar's seven-member family left for Srinagar on April 16 to attend a Ram Katha by spiritual leader Morari Bapu. The family was set to return to Gujarat in a day or two, but the Pahalgam terror attack brought their trip to Jammu and Kashmir to a tragic end as Yatishbhai and his 17-year-old son Smit were among the 26 people killed by terrorists. The family, originally from Palitana, lives in the Nandanvan Society in Kaliyabid area of Bhavnagar city. 'I am not able to look at the photo of Smit on my phone now. He really wanted to join the Army and had also joined NCC in school. I wanted to see him in an Army uniform. The loss is forever,' Kajalben told The Indian Express. Bharatbhai Parmar (38), cousin of Yatishbhai, said, 'We are happy that the terrorists have got a befitting reply. This is absolutely correct, it is very good. We are a little relieved that the Indian Army has avenged the lives of our family members.' Revealing the incidents of April 22, Kajalben told this paper, 'We only heard Allah hu Akbar and daudo bhago. My husband and son were at some distance from us. What happened after that, we are clueless. It was only my 15-year-old nephew Sarthak Manojbhai Nathani who pulled me and the other family members from the scene and sought help from the Army and we could return safely. Only his bravery could bring us back alive.' Kajalben's elder son Abhishek who works in a private laboratory in Bhavnagar too expressed his satisfaction over the action, terming it to be a swift action within 15 days. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has paid tributes to the late father-son of Bhavnagar at their residence. The bodies of the father and son killed in the terrorist attack were brought from Srinagar to Mumbai and from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. From Ahmedabad, both the bodies were brought to Bhavnagar by road at midnight. While Yatishbhai owned a salon and restaurant, his son Smit was a Class 11 student at Vidhyadhish School. They had gone to Jammu and Kashmir to attend Morari Bapu's Katha at Sher-i Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar from April 19 to 27. The Parmars, along with four members from Yatishbhai's in-laws' side, left for Srinagar on April 16.
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Proud of my brothers in armed forces: Pahalgam attack victims' wife from Gujarat
Ahmedabad: 'I'm proud of my brothers in the armed forces, who feel the pain and sorrow of their sisters' sindoor being wiped away in this tragedy and are driven to fight for justice,' said Kajal Parmar, the wife of Yatishbhai Parmar and mother of 17-year-old Smit Parmar, both of whom were killed in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The Parmar family was part of a 19-member tourist group from Bhavnagar, Gujarat, that had attended a Ram Katha by Morari Bapu in Srinagar before visiting Pahalgam Speaking to the media after India carried out precision strikes at multiple terror sites in Pakistan early Wednesday, Kajal said that the attack not just took away her husband and son but the lives and dreams of several families—fathers, mothers, children—leaving a nation in grief. 'I'm so grateful for Operation Sindoor and to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking swift action. They took my family, but they will not escape justice. We want these terrorists wiped off the face of the earth,' she added. In an operation named 'Sindoor', Indian armed forces conducted strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the early hours of Wednesday, the defence ministry said. India's Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a release that nine sites were targeted in the military strikes in Pakistan. 'These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered. We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable. There will be detailed briefing on 'OPERATION SINDOOR', later today,' the release read. Also read:Father, son from Gujarat's Bhavnagar killed in Pahalgam terror attack Kajal, who escaped the Pahalgam attack because her nephew pulled her to safety, recalled, 'It was over in five minutes. I saw it with my own eyes—they asked about our religion before starting to shoot us. Had it not been for my nephew, I wouldn't be alive today.' The Parmar family was part of a 19-member tourist group from Bhavnagar, Gujarat, that had attended a Ram Katha by Morari Bapu in Srinagar before visiting Pahalgam, 90 kilometers away. Sixteen in the group were unharmed, while Vinodbhai Dabhi, another Bhavnagar resident, suffered a bullet graze to his arm. Yatishbhai and Smit were listed as missing on April 22, with their deaths confirmed the next day. 'Modi Saheb has shown patience, but this time they've gone too far. He can't see us in this pain,' Kajal added.
India Today
07-05-2025
- India Today
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.
