Karnal: For a cousin of Pahalgam attack victim Vinay Narwal, who is about a decade older and resides in the family village of Bhusli, 8 kilometres from the city of Karnal, social media’s come to serve as a nudge that he can’t shake off.
“I open my phone to get some respite. But each time I open Facebook or Instagram, I’m unable to forget,” he said, not wanting to be named.
Vinay Narwal has become the symbol of the Pahalgam terror attack. Photos and videos of the late navy officer holidaying in Baisaran, also known as ‘mini-Switzerland’, have become representative of the sheer brutality of the act — the horror that was unleashed on unsuspecting tourists.
“Social media’s a double-edged sword. At one level, it’s an invasion of our privacy. But it also widens support, and can assure justice,” said his sister, Srishti Narwal, outside the family home in Karnal.
For instance, the video of a couple dancing to a Coke Studio song went viral on social media, and was said to be of Narwal and his wife. However, as the family confirmed, this was not the case. Now, the couple who are actually in the video have come forward.
“I’m not in a condition to see what’s happening on social media, nor do I have the time,” said Vinay’s father, Rajesh Narwal. “It has its uses, but people shouldn’t doctor or edit images.”
Also read: Navy officer Vinay Narwal’s family wants the media out—‘Please don’t ruin our reputation’
Online exploitation of grief
As the media and local people continue to hover around the Narwal family, clamouring for quotes and waiting for the family to come out with their story –– they’re exercising caution, being reticent. A common statement being doled out to media persons is that everything is already on YouTube, and they have nothing more to add.
The family is still reeling from Tuesday’s events. Narwal’s father, Rajesh, arrived in Srinagar in a complete daze.
“I wasn’t in a condition to see what was going on. I had blacked out,” he said. “The government supported and managed everything. I have nothing to blame them for.”
One video that’s been shared to no end is of Narwal’s wife, Himanshi, bidding farewell to her husband at the funeral. Visibly distraught, she’s leaning over his coffin. By way of videos like this, several social media users are issuing incendiary statements –– almost using Narwal’s story as a springboard.
Currently, members of the family are either too aggrieved to speak or in remembrance mode.
“He was a really kind boy. When he was younger, he wanted to become a pilot,” reminisced his cousin.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)