Maharashtra Marathi Mandate For Cab, Auto Drivers: 1.4 Lakh Clear Test, 25,000 Yet To Register

The Maharashtra Government mandated Marathi proficiency for taxi and autorickshaw drivers in the state, for which 1.65 lakh drivers had applied. 1.4 lakh drivers have cleared the proficiency test, while 7,750 failed the test and are required to retake the exam.

Nearly 25,000 drivers in Maharashtra are yet to register for the proficiency test, while the mandate suggests that failure to comply would lead to a license suspension for three months. The state transport department's flying squads will begin random checks starting Thursday, and those drivers who are unable to speak Marathi will get one-month notice to comply.

Speaking at a function in Thane, where certificates were distributed to the successful participants hailing from non-Marathi background, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde emphasised Marathi was a language of devotion and not compulsion. Voluntary adoption of the language by non-Marathi-speaking people reflected the state's cultural unity, he insisted.

He was addressing the concluding ceremony of the 'Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Marathi Language Course Campaign', jointly organised by the Maharashtra Transport Department, State Marathi Development Institute, Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh and Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad.

The 105-day campaign saw 1.25 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers learn Marathi and pass the language examination, Shinde said.

"This is not an end but a strong beginning for Marathi pride," Shinde said, adding the slogan "Maharashtra is mine, Marathi is my language of communication" reflected the spirit of the state. "Devotion to the mother tongue and respect for Marathi are the real strengths of Maharashtra," he maintained.

Praising state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik for promoting Marathi through a positive approach rather than legal compulsion, Shinde said, "A language is learnt through love, not through law." He appealed to Marathi speakers not to make fun of people learning the language and instead communicate with them in the official language of Maharashtra. Recalling the legacy of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and his emphasis on Marathi pride, Shinde listed several decisions taken during his tenure as chief minister.

Among the key decisions, he highlighted granting Marathi classical language status, the Ladki Bahin Yojana, measures to promote higher education among girls, 50 per cent concession for women travelling by state transport buses and allowing the mother's name to be included in official records.

Speaking about wider Maharashtra and its growth, he noted the state was leading in industrial development, start-ups, GDP expansion and foreign investment. He suggested that the official version of 'Vande Mataram' approved recently by Parliament should be sung at public functions. Expressing pride in his past as an autorickshaw driver, Shinde highlighted government welfare decisions for transport workers, stressing that while Maharashtra must protect its linguistic identity, language should unite rather than divide.

Transport Minister Sarnaik launched the campaign following a survey revealing communication gaps among non-Marathi drivers, despite 1989 rules requiring basic Marathi proficiency for driving licences.

Over 1,65,600 transport workers registered during the three-and-a-half-month initiative. Marathi Language Minister Uday Samant said future phases of the campaign aim to elevate drivers from functional to literary Marathi.

(with PTI inputs)