Groups representing 'unreserved' category to hold march in Noida tomorrow to protest SC/ST Act amendments

Noida: Multiple social groups representing people from the “unreserved” category in Gautam Buddh Nagar will take out a march on Thursday to protest the amendments in the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The groups said they are also opposed to the reservation system on grounds of caste and religion and batted for a quota system based on economic status. The participating groups included the Noida Lok Manch, the Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA), the Brahman Samaj Seva Samiti, the Agarwal Mitra Mandal besides representatives of trade unions and resident welfare associations (RWAs). [caption id=“attachment_5123051” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] “We will be taking out a protest march tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 10 am from the Noida stadium and go to the district magistrate’s office. We will handover a memorandum to the district magistrate, our Member of Parliament, raising our concerns,” said Vipin Malhan, from the Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA). Some organisations have given a call for ‘Bharat bandh’ on Thursday against the SC/ST Amendment Bill passed in Parliament in August. “If the district magistrate and the MP don’t pay any heeds to our demands on the changes in the SC/ST Act, then we will have to give call for a separate Noida bandh,” said Mishra, “We are also against reservation because we believe it should be given on economic status. Our talented youth is leaving India because of this,” he said. Any more changes in the laws will only “create further differences” in the society, Mishra added. Mahesh Saxena, General Secretary of Noida Lok Manch, said the government should reconsider the amendments on priority. “The message is clear that we will not tolerate any misuse of this Act by the administration and the government,” he said. Meanwhile, the police have beefed up security around the city in view of the protest march. “Law and order has to be maintained,” a police spokesperson said.