'Bharat Bandh': Protestors carry out march in Noida

Scores of people Thursday protested amendments in the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and carried out a march demanding changes in the legislation.

The protestors, including representatives of some social and industry bodies, also handed over a memorandum of their demands to District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh.

The march began from the Noida Stadium with protestors, some of them sporting black bands on their arms, moved chanting slogans. The march culminated at the camp office of the district magistrate in Sector 27, amid beefed up security in the area.

The participants in the march included people from 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).

"The new law is being openly misused. Point in case is the episode of a retired Army colonel, where the misuse of law was evident and it is intolerable. The government should ensure changes in the law so that a majority of population is not victimised," the memorandum stated.

They demanded there should not be any arrest without a prior probe in any case related to the Act.

In case the accusation is found false, legal proceedings must be initiated against the complainant, it said. The groups said they also opposed the reservation system on grounds of caste and religion and batted for a quota system based on economic status.

"We hope and request that keeping in view the concerns you will take an appropriate action and not let the majority population become helpless which otherwise would be left to take some moves which might be detrimental to the law and order situation in the region," the memorandum stated.

Some organisations had given a call for 'Bharat bandh' Thursday against the SC/ST Amendment Bill passed in Parliament last month.

"The other community can get you jailed anytime and this march is to protest that. We want to tell the central government that please follow the guidelines of the Supreme Court on this issue. In the 2014 general election, it was our votes that brought you to power at the Centre but if you don't reconsider this, your desire to retain power in 2019 may not be fulfilled, Vipin Kumar Malhan, President of the Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA) said.

He said the city magistrate took the memorandum on behalf of the district magistrate and has assured forwarding it to the central government.

"If our demands are not met, next we will gherao the local Member of Parliament (Mahesh Sharma) and if he doesn't stand with us, then this public will also part ways with him in 2019 general election, Malhan said.

We are not against the SC/ST Act in entirety but only against the draconian provisions like arrest without probe and no bail proposed in the law after the recent amendments, social activist and founder of Noida village residents welfare association Ranjan Tomar said.

"The articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution provide every citizen with the rights to liberty and freedom. When you arrest somebody without probe it is like snatching away their rights," he argued.

"No doubt atrocities continue to be committed on people from the SC/ST communities but there have been several instances of false accusations also. Arresting someone without probe and making such accusations non-bailable offence is unfair," Tomar said.