KATHMANDU, May 10: A picture often conveys what a thousand words cannot. One such image-of a grieving Himanshi sitting beside the body of her husband, Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, killed in Pahalgam, Kashmir-moved countless people. That very image of sorrow seemed to capture the national grief and spurred India to launch 'Operation Sindoor'. Now, two nuclear-armed nations stand on the brink of a major war. No one desires war– it is always a tragedy.
Cross-border violence and terrorism have long plagued Indian soil. But the viral image from Pahalgam reveals a particularly painful story. Terrorists killed Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who had married Himanshi just on April 16. The attack on Tuesday also claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
After the Pahalgam attack, social media users widely shared a photo of a couple that captured the unfolding tragedy in the scenic meadows of Kashmir. The couple had married just six days earlier. Their heartbreaking story touched countless hearts. Perhaps this painful image showing a bride who lost her sindoor (a symbol of marriage) within a week inspired the name 'Operation Sindoor.'
Let’s live in peace and embrace diversity
As people heard the story behind this image, many recalled another haunting photo from the Vietnam War-a naked girl running in terror from bombs and napalm. The world came to know her as the "Napalm Girl," and that image exposed the brutal horrors of the Vietnam War and the atrocities committed by the US.
On June 8, 1972, a photographer captured an image of children fleeing for their lives after US forces bombed a village in Vietnam. The photo vividly portrays the brutality of war. It earned the Pulitzer Prize and has remained iconic for over 50 years. Many believe the image helped push the war towards its end. The young girl in the photo, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, later emerged as a leading activist. Today, she champions the rights of children affected by war.
But unlike Kim Phuc, Vinay Narwal will never get a second chance at life. A terrorist attack ended his journey. Yet his death does not close the chapter-many more lives are still at risk.
As a photojournalist, I await another powerful image-one that will emotionally appeal to stop the India-Pakistan war. This image could capture a benevolent soldier offering water to a captured enemy soldier or it could show a compassionate civilian saving a foreign soldier from an angry mob.
Everyone knows that no one desires war. War is not a celebration for anyone. Right now, I fear that a small conflict could escalate into something much larger.
I have watched children fight. They start by squabbling, but soon they push and shove. A simple slap occurs, and someone accidentally gets hurt on the nose. The one who's hurt picks up a stone. I fear that the stone will hit me on the head. The stone thrown by the child only hurts their friend's head. But when two countries throw stones, they wound the entire civilization. That's why I am waiting for a powerful image—one that teaches before any harm is done.
