Located in Purkazi Nagar Panchayat of Muzaffarnaga
| Suliwala Bagh | |
| Coordinates: | 29.6631° N, 77.8445° E |
| Location: | Purkazi, Muzaffarnagar, India |
| Elevation: | 300m (1,000 ft.) |
Following the watershed moment of 1857 revolt in Meerut, the revolution spread like a wildfire in the neighbouring regions including Muzaffarnagar. Agitated with the atrocities of British rule, the local insurgents killed the then British Collector, Mr. Werfort on 29 May 1857.[1]
In retaliation, the newly appointed Muzaffarnagar collector, Mr. Edward ordered the British army to suppress the uprising in the area. Surpassing all the limits of atrocities, Major William ordered the hanging of 500 Indian rebels[2] who had participated in the revolution. This unfateful incident led the park to be named as Suliwala Bagh.
Much before the infamous Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919 that happened in Amritsar, there occurred the Suli Wala Bagh massacre in 1857. The mass hanging intended to create a sense of fear among people, but it turned out to be a symbol of martyrdom and resistance. Some silent trees on which the rebels were hanged still exist in the garden, acting as a silent insignia of the gory incident.[3]
Despite having a historical significance in the wake of India's first ever war of independence, this memorial site continues to be sidelined. The history of Suliwala Bagh is yet to be acknowledged in the official documents. Over the years, the local communities and myriad influential people have been demanding the heritage status for the Muzaffarnagar Park.[4]
For instance, Bhartiya Kisan Union Chief Rakesh Tikait has written to the prime minister of India Narendra Modi to demand Martyr's Memorial status (Shaheed Sthal) for the historical site. Purkazi Chairman Adv. Zaheer Farooqui along has also been regularly demanding the same for the historical park.[5]