Lalita Ramdas, educationist and widow of the 13th admiral of the Indian Navy, has hailed as “the perfect Fauji wife” Himanshi Narwal, whose husband, Lt Vinay Narwal, was among those terrorists gunned down in Kashmir on April 22.

On Thursday, which would have been the young Indian Navy lieutenant’s 27th birthday, Himanshi had appealed for peace and communal harmony in a remarkable display of poise and maturity that drew the wrath and abuse of many right-wingers on social media.

“We don’t want people to go after Muslims and Kashmiris. We want peace and only peace. Of course, we want justice. The people who have wronged him should be punished,” Himanshi told newspersons at a blood donation camp in Haryana’s Karnal on Thursday.

“You are the perfect Fauji wife Himanshi, true to the spirit of the service, the Constitution and to our secular values,” Lalita Ramdas, the widow of the late Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, wrote in a note to Himanshi, who was widowed just six days after her wedding.

The couple chose Kashmir as their honeymoon spot due to visa hurdles in Europe and Lt Vinay Narwal’s work engagements.

“This is a personal tribute from possibly one of the oldest Navy daughters/wives alive today… to the newest and youngest among the special fraternity of Naval wives,” wrote Lalita Ramdas, whose father was Admiral Ram Dass Katari.

“I am so proud of you as I watch the clip of your words to the press, over and over again. Your extraordinary strength, composure and conviction when you speak out against hate and targeting of Muslims and Kashmiris after the horrific killing of so many innocent men in Pahalgam on the 22nd is truly remarkable. And so badly needed in our times,” Lalita wrote.

She wrote the letter for Himanshi and it was mailed to the secretariat of the Chief of Naval Staff. Lalita said she would mail a letter directly to Himanshi’s Karnal address provided by the secretariat.

“We only want peace", you said, and of course rightly. We want justice too,” Lalita wrote, echoing Himanshi’s words. “You are clearly a woman who knows her mind, and there could not have been a more courageous partner of a Navy man like Vinay. You have echoed the thoughts and feelings of every thinking citizen of this country. And we should all take your message of love and compassion far and wide.”

The note was shared on social media by independent journalist and author Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.