Locals, descendants of those revolutionaries, express disappointment over the neglect and lack of memorials. NOIDA: Nalgarha resents the anonymity it finds itself in. The Hindon on one side and Yamuna on the other, it was inconspicuousness that had, however, proved an asset for a group of storied patriots who chanced upon its dense woods and swamps a hundred years ago while they organised against the British.
To locals, many of whom call themselves descendants of freedom fighters who fought alongside Bhagat Singh and answered the call of Netaji's Indian National Army , it is history that fills them with pride, but also chagrin at the lack of recognition. Today's Nalgarha is ringed by luxurious highrises and bordering it is the high-speed Yamuna Expressway. Subsumed by Sector 145 in Noida, it is a far cry from the sanctuary its terrain had provided to Bhagat Singh, who was here in 1927, along with freedom fighters Phool Singh, Karnail Singh and others.
Locals are unhappy over what they describe as " neglect " of their heroes and the lack of a memorial to mark the village's deep connection with the independence movement. People settled down here in 1955, most of them Sikhs and Gujjars, clearing out forests for a settlement of 300 families. Amarjeet Singh's is one of them.
"Karnail Singh lived here all his life. If one had the opportunity to meet him, even in his eighties, one would be astounded by his physical prowess. His towering stature and strong build made him stand out am.