'No Injustice Will Be Done on Language Grounds': Fadnavis on Marathi Learning Row
- On Monday, August 24, non-Marathi-speaking auto and taxi drivers staged a protest on Kandivali Link Road in Mumbai, blocking roads and claiming harassment from native Marathi speakers over a new language proficiency mandate.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party government mandated basic Marathi knowledge for all licensed drivers, launching a statewide inspection campaign on Thursday to enforce the requirement. The Regional Transport Office issued notices to more than 770 drivers for lacking proficiency.
- "We were being constantly harassed and stopped by native Marathi speakers," driver Sunil Yadav said. Non-compliant drivers face license suspension and fines reaching Rs 25,000, creating severe financial hardship.
- Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticized the rule on Sunday, stating no language should be "politicised" as it creates "distance and discord in the country's linguistic and emotional unity."
- RTO officials checked approximately 8,000 drivers across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region during the campaign's first two days. Repeated violations threaten permanent license suspension and livelihood loss for non-compliant drivers.
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15 Articles
We are 60-year-olds, how can we learn?: Mumbai auto drivers strike over Marathi rule
Mumbai autorickshaw drivers are on a three-day strike against the Maharashtra government's Marathi language requirement, with several drivers saying they fear penalties and action against licences. Drivers said they were willing to learn Marathi but objected to being penalised before they had been given adequate time to meet the requirement.
No need to make drivers Marathi experts, basic communication enough: Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has emphasized that the requirement for drivers to understand Marathi is about facilitating basic communication, not mastering the language. The state is taking a humane approach, offering drivers more time to learn functional Marathi if necessary. Starting August 20, a state-run initiative will assess the drivers' Marathi proficiency, aiming to uphold the cultural identity and essence of the Mara…
'No injustice will be done on language grounds': Fadnavis on Marathi learning row
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said no one will face injustice over Marathi language rules and assured drivers their livelihoods are safe. He also targeted Congress over women's reservation and delimitation.
Traffic on Mumbai's Kandivali Link Road was snarled by auto-rickshaw drivers protesting the mandatory Marathi language requirement. The protesters blocked traffic by stopping their autorickshaws on the road, causing inconvenience to passengers and drivers. A Marathi-speaking auto driver, Prakash Shejwal, was also allegedly assaulted.
Mumbaikars pay '3 times' usual fare for autorickshaws as Marathi test kicks in: 'What are we achieving...?'
The enforcement drive has drawn criticism from members of the film fraternity as well as autorickshaw drivers, who have staged a three-day strike against the directive.
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