Maharashtra softens stand on mandatory Marathi for auto, taxi drivers

The minister said that he is expected to hold a meeting with the unions and discuss the proposal with them on April 28.

Just 10 days after announcing a drive to test the Marathi language skills of licenced auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers from May 1, to eliminate fake permit holders, the state transport department appears to have softened its stance. Following threats of a state-wide strike on May 4 from resentful unions and drivers, transport minister Pratap Sarnaik switched his strategy on Thursday shifting focus from the mandatory language test to offering free tuitions to drivers willing to learn Marathi.

State softens stand on mandatory Marathi for auto, taxi drivers

The minister said that he is expected to hold a meeting with the unions and discuss the proposal with them on April 28. Should the drivers comply with the government’s proposal of availing the free lessons, the drive to test their Marathi skills on May 1 will be deferred. On this day the government will only run checks on their valid documents required for permits.

“Instead of opposing the mandatory test of Marathi language, we can give them time and one opportunity to learn communicating in the language free of cost. But they should shed their opposition towards the language. If they continue to oppose Marathi then we will remain firm on our earlier stand,” Sarnaik told HT.

On Thursday morning, Sarnaik held a meeting with litterateurs to discuss the training programme to impart communication skills to non-Marathi speaking drivers. Ujjwala Mehendale, working president of Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, Bal Kandalakar, Thane president of Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad, poet Arun Mhatre and other prominent people attended the meeting.

Together they decided that a basic course will be devised to impart rudimentary Marathi communication skills, which drivers require to communicate with commuters. Mehendale and Kandalkar extended the support of their organisations to fulfil this need.

Mehendale noted that following the meeting the language scholars prepared a four-page booklet of essential Marathi dialogues that drivers require for daily interactions with commuters. “We have submitted the document to the transport department. The booklet, which include interactions on transactions, destinations and directions, will help the drivers in their daily routine. Our volunteers can offer online training,” said Mehendale.

Kandalkar added that the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad can also “train drivers offline for a few hours if the government facilitate it”.

After the meeting, Sarnaik said, “The transport department will listen to the auto and taxi drivers’ unions’ stand in a meeting on April 28. The meeting will be attended by union leaders such as Shashank Sharad Rao, president of Autorickshaw Chalak Malak Sanghatana Sanyukt Kruti Samiti Maharashtra (ACMSSKSM). This meeting is important as it will decide our future course of action on the language test.”

Meanwhile, Sanjay Nirupam, Sarnaik’s colleague from the Shiv Sena, alerted the minister about the mandatory test’s drawback in a written communication, which he also posted on X. In the letter Nirupam said: “Don’t impose mandatory Marathi on drivers. But only expect a basic Marathi-speaking skill from them which they need daily.”