Nimrat Kaur opens up on losing her father to terrorist attack in Kashmir

In a climate thick with discussions of national security and the ever-present threat of terrorism, the unwavering bravery of the Indian Armed Forces shines through. For actress Nimrat Kaur, this courage resonates deeply. She is the daughter of the late Major Bhupender Singh an army officer who made the ultimate sacrifice in a terrorist attack in Kashmir in 1994.

Nimrat Kaur: A daughter’s perspective on loss resilience and the Indo-Pak conflict

In an earlier interview, Nimrat recounted the tragic events. “He was a young army major an engineer posted on the border roads of the army in a place called Verinag,” she explained. At the time Kashmir was not considered a family posting so Nimrat and her family resided in Patiala.

Their winter vacation in January 1994 took a devastating turn. “We were on our winter vacation in January 1994 and visiting our father in Kashmir when the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen kidnapped him from his place of work and after seven days terminated him,” the actress shared. The motive behind the abduction was chilling. “They had made some ridiculous demands asking for the release of certain individuals, which her father true to his duty refused to comply with.” Major Bhupender Singh was just 44 years old.

The impact on the family was profound. “We got the news and flew back with his body to Delhi and I saw his body for the first time only in Delhi,” she revealed. The family later moved to Noida before her mother established a new home with her father’s pension and their savings.

Major Bhupender Singh’s gallantry was posthumously recognised with the Shaurya Chakra a testament to his unwavering commitment.

In a more recent interview, Nimrat offered her perspective on the geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan. While cautious in her comments, she stated, “Well I won't comment on something that I don't know about. But I feel the word [war] has such serious consequences. I don't think a lot of us even quite recognise the gravity of assuming that there could be a war. It also spreads fear... It's a bit of scaremongering that reminds me of Covid times. The whole bunch [of assumptions] made everyone nervous and skittish. I think we shouldn't do it again as a country.”

Reflecting on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor Kaur asserted “Anyone any country land or government that enables it must be told [that terrorism has no place]. I firmly believe our government and armed forces are committed to that cause and I am proud of them for having taken the stand and executed Operation Sindoor. It felt personal given my history as a martyr’s daughter. All our support and prayers courage and strength to the armed forces. But let's limit it to that. As civilians we are leading our lovely lives and doing things normally but there are serious considerations. So lets be cognisant of that and handle it responsibly.”