Mumbai: The Maharashtra government had made knowledge of Marathi mandatory for taxi and autorickshaw drivers in the state.
A 100-day window was given to those who didn’t know Marathi to learn the language, or else have their licences or permits suspended.
Now that the deadline has ended, what awaits those drivers who won’t be able to demonstrate adequate knowledge of Marathi?
Their fate could be decided at a meeting on Wednesday when Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik is expected to take up the issue with Transport department officials.
The powers-that-be will discuss whether punitive action should be initiated straightaway, or whether notices, warnings or an extended opportunity to learn Marathi should be considered.
The state government’s language training initiative — organised jointly by the Maharashtra Transport Department, State Marathi Development Institute, Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh and Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad – saw more than 1.65 lakh transport workers register for the three-and-a-half-month programme.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Monday that around 1.25 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers from non-Marathi backgrounds had completed functional Marathi training and passed the language examination under the campaign.
The campaign was not about imposing Marathi but encouraging its voluntary adoption, Shinde emphasised, describing Marathi as a “language of devotion and not compulsion”.
The campaign, which has drawn opposition from Congress leaders, was launched after a survey found communication gaps among non-Marathi-speaking drivers. Defending the move, the government pointed to rules dating back to 1989 that require basic Marathi proficiency for obtaining driving licences.
According to Marathi Language minister Uday Samant, future phases of the language initiative will seek to help drivers learn more than functional Marathi.