Learn Marathi in 1 year: Maharashtra govt extends deadline for auto, taxi drivers
MUMBAI: Maharashtra government has decided to give auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers one year to learn functional Marathi, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Thursday.He said that no action will be taken against drivers during this period for not having the required knowledge of the state’s official language.This comes days after the Transport Department carried out a statewide checking drive and issued notices to drivers who failed a Marathi test.Fadnavis said representatives of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers’ organisations, led by Haji Arfat Shaikh, had met him and supported the requirement for drivers to learn basic Marathi.However, the representatives pointed out that drivers belonged to different age groups and many had left formal education years ago, making it difficult for them to learn the language within a short period, he said.“They requested that they be given one year’s time. The state government has accepted their demand and is giving them one year. No action will be taken during this period,” Fadnavis said.During the one-year period, Marathi classes will be organised and study material will be provided to help drivers learn functional Marathi.“They have themselves come forward and are willing to learn. Therefore, it was necessary to give them time,” he said.
What is the Marathi rule?
The government had announced in April that non-Marathi-speaking drivers must learn basic Marathi and had set a deadline of August 15, while also organising Marathi classes.On August 20, the transport department issued notices to 1,268 commercial passenger vehicle drivers, mainly auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, for not having adequate knowledge of Marathi on the first day of the statewide checking drive.The drivers who failed the Marathi test were initially given one month to acquire working knowledge of Marathi, failing which their badges could be suspended for three months.
Protests and allegations
The checking drive triggered protests by a section of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in parts of Mumbai.Demonstrations were reported in Kandivali, Malad West, Santacruz, Dahisar and Andheri, while some drivers began a three-day strike.An autorickshaw driver was allegedly assaulted by another auto driver who was part of a protesting group on MG Road in Kandivali West.Some protesters allegedly stopped other auto and taxi drivers, including app-based cab drivers, from ferrying passengers and forced passengers to deboard. A roadblock was also staged at Laljipada in Kandivali West.Drivers also alleged that questions asked during roadside Marathi proficiency tests were outside the syllabus of the classes conducted by RTOs and literary groups.“We learnt at least 16 conversational Marathi sentences during the classes conducted by the RTO and literary groups. But during the road test none of the information we had learnt during the course was asked. Many of us have now received notices despite taking Marathi lessons from the RTO and literary groups,” one driver said.Union leader Thampy Kurien sought more time for drivers to learn Marathi, reduced punitive measures and tests restricted to the prescribed syllabus.
Rule challenged in Bombay high court
The Marathi requirement has also faced a legal challenge. A PIL filed by four app-based cab drivers, including Mohd Kasim Ahmad, challenges the Maharashtra government’s August 12 notification making working knowledge of Marathi compulsory for auto-rickshaw, taxi and app-based cab drivers.The petitioners have argued that the notification violates their fundamental rights and is beyond the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which does not prescribe a language requirement for obtaining or holding a driving licence.The PIL has also raised concerns over its impact on nearly 9.65 lakh drivers across Maharashtra.(With inputs from PTI)
