Pahalgam Terror Victim's Daughter Faces Online Abuse After Praising Kashmiri 'Brothers' For Support

Ramachandran, a native of Kochi, was among the 26 people killed when terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam.

However, her words of appreciation have unfortunately made her the target of vitriol on social media.

Source : X

Arathi, the daughter of N Ramachandran—a Malayali tourist tragically killed in the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir—is now facing a new ordeal: an onslaught of online abuse following her public remarks appreciating the support she received from Kashmiris. Ramachandran, a native of Kochi, was among the 26 people killed when terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam.

'I've 2 Brothers In Kashmir Now': Arathi 

Arathi, who survived the attack, recounted the harrowing events in interviews with ANI and PTI. Describing the moments before her father was shot, Arathi said, "When we heard the first gunshot, I asked my father about the sound. He said he wasn’t sure. As we heard more gunshots, we started to run. We saw other people also running. It was a chaos overall. Suddenly, we saw a man coming with a gun. At this, I panicked, and I told my father that the man was coming towards us. My father was calm, and he said let’s see what happens. The man came towards us and said 'Kalma'. When we said we didn't understand what he was saying, the man shot my father."

Despite the trauma, Arathi expressed deep gratitude for the assistance she received in the aftermath. Speaking to PTI, she praised the kindness shown by locals, particularly two men—Musafir, her driver, and another man named Sameer—who helped her navigate the tragic hours that followed.

“They stood by me through everything, took me to the mortuary, helped with the formalities.I have two brothers in Kashmir now. May Allah protect you both," she told PTI.

Targeted For Gratitude

However, her words of appreciation have unfortunately made her the target of vitriol on social media. Several users mocked her calm demeanor during interviews, questioning her emotions and even accusing her of seeking attention. Others posted communal remarks, criticising her for acknowledging the help she received from Muslims and Kashmiris.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, "What does she mean by 'Kashmiris are helpful'?" while another accused her of betraying her community, saying, "Keralite proves demographic changes on them nd der attitude towards der own community #betrayal came from insiders".

Despite the backlash, a section of netizens came forward in support of Arathi, commending her for her grace and composure in the face of unspeakable loss.