‘I will only go to events that are taking place for peace or for protests against war’

Gurmehar Kaur says those who ridiculed her in 2017, now understand the relevance of peace between India & Pak

Gurmehar Kaur, the Delhi University student who kicked up a storm in 2017 with her post on social media, advocating stronger Indo-Pak relations, says her narrative against war is being understood now by people in the face of military escalation at the Indo-Pak border. The girl, who is now an author and student peace activist, says she still fears radical student outfits, who had threatened her when she posted a video in 2017 saying that, Pakistan didn’t kill her father, a martyred Indian Army officer, but the war did. Speaking to the team at an event, Gurmehar reitertated her stand. Excerpts.

Given the present situation between India and Pakistan, has your stance changed since the time you first started the narrative of peace between the two countries?


My stance will never change. My stance is something that I came to terms with after twenty years of walking this planet, and isn’t something that dawned on me one fine day. It’s a very strong opinion that I formed over the years. In the present situation in the country, people ask me why I haven’t made my opinions vocal now. I tell them that, I don’t need to speak about it again and again. Now that the fear of war is looming, people are like, ‘Yeah that silly girl was right’. I think now other people need to say what I was saying back in 2017. I have said enough.

In your opinion, is the present situation between India and Pakistan scary?

I am actually surprised that someone is using the word ‘scary’. Because when I had posted an anti-war narrative, people threatened me, hated me. Even now, the word they use is ‘tense’ and not scary.

Last time when you took a stand against political party, they threatened you with death and rape. You had to leave Delhi for a while too. Do you still feel fear?

Yes, I am still scared. I don’t take the metro, and I still travel by auto. I don’t take public transport anymore. I am now extra careful, and don’t go out in particular spaces or places that has radical presence. I will only go to certain events that are taking place for peace, or for protests against war. And if I am going to attend events, I don't really put out my location or whereabouts on social media. I just be a part of the protest and mingle with the crowd as one of them.