March in Noida tomorrow to protest SC/ST Act amendments

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).

"We will be taking out a protest march tomorrow 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' Thursday against the SC/ST Amendment Bill passed in Parliament last month.

"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,