Pulwama Attack Anniversary: Nation Remembers Martyrs as Families Say Wounds Are Still Fresh

While February 14 is widely marked as Valentine’s Day across the world, for India it also remains a day of deep national mourning for the anniversary of the Pulwama terror attack , one of the deadliest assaults on security forces in the country’s recent history.

Seven years after the attack that claimed the lives of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel , families of the martyrs gathered across states to remember their loved ones, even as many said the pain of loss remains as raw as ever and some assurances made in the aftermath are yet to be fulfilled.

On February 14, 2019, a suicide bomber belonging to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF convoy on the Srinagar–Jammu national highway in Pulwama , killing 40 jawans of the 76th Battalion of the CRPF . The attack sent shockwaves across the country and triggered nationwide grief and outrage.

In Punjab’s Moga district, Sukhjit Kaur , widow of CRPF driver Jaimal Singh , recalled the unfulfilled promises made after her husband’s sacrifice. She said a stadium announced in his name is yet to be built, while a memorial gate proposed in his honour remains incomplete. Singh was driving the bus that was targeted in the attack.

“Only we know how difficult it is to live without him,” Kaur said, adding that their son, who was just five-and-a-half years old at the time, is now 12 and increasingly aware of the permanent void left behind.

Similar sentiments were echoed in Tarn Taran’s Gandiwind village, where the family of martyr Sukhjinder Singh paid homage. His brother Gurjant Singh urged authorities to upgrade a government school named after the jawan and complete an under-construction stadium dedicated to his memory.

As families remembered their loved ones, political leaders across party lines paid tributes to the fallen personnel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the devotion, resolve and service of the martyrs would remain forever etched in the nation’s collective consciousness. Vice President C P Radhakrishnan said their supreme sacrifice would continue to inspire the country to remain united and vigilant against terrorism.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the nation would forever remain indebted to the martyrs for their supreme sacrifice, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said their courage and devotion to duty would always remain etched in the country’s collective memory.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also paid homage to the fallen CRPF personnel, saying their sacrifice would never be forgotten.

The Pulwama attack marked a major turning point in India’s counter-terror response. Days after the attack, India carried out retaliatory air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan’s Balakot region, signalling a firm stance against cross-border terrorism. The incident also led to a comprehensive overhaul of security protocols, including tighter convoy movement procedures, increased highway surveillance in Jammu and Kashmir, enhanced use of technology and improved coordination among intelligence and security agencies.

Seven years on, Pulwama remains a defining moment in India’s fight against terrorism. As the nation observes the anniversary with tributes and remembrance, for the families of the fallen CRPF personnel, the day serves as a reminder that while time has passed, their loss and their sacrifice continues to shape lives forever.