After outrage among non-Marathi-speaking auto and taxi drivers over the move to make learning Marathi compulsory, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday overruled his minister’s decision and announced a one-year extension for them to learn the language.
Fadnavis also assured non-Marathi-speaking auto and taxi drivers that no punitive action would be taken against them during this one-year period. The announcement comes as a major relief for the drivers, who were worried about losing their livelihoods in the financial capital.
Earlier, Transport Minister and Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik had refused to grant an extension to non-Marathi-speaking auto and taxi drivers. He had decided that they would be issued a one-month show-cause notice and that their driving licences would be suspended for three months if they failed to speak Marathi. Refusing to grant an extension, he said the government had given them enough time to learn Marathi and that it was now time to take action.
However, following the outrage, Fadnavis overruled Sarnaik’s decision and granted a one-year extension to learn Marathi.
A committee representing non-Marathi-speaking auto-rickshaw drivers met the Chief Minister and requested an extension of time to learn Marathi. Fadnavis assured them of relief and announced the one-year extension.
Fadnavis said, “The auto and taxi drivers from Mumbai met me. They acknowledge that they need to know at least basic Marathi in Maharashtra, and they are making efforts to learn it. These efforts will continue in the future. However, it is not feasible for taxi drivers across various age groups to learn Marathi within a short timeframe. Therefore, they are being granted a one-year extension to learn the language,” Fadnavis said.
He added, “No action will be taken against them during this period. They should use this time to learn basic Marathi. Since they proactively requested this time, it was necessary to grant it.”
A political observer said the Maharashtra government’s decision was having a negative impact in northern states, mainly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, from where a majority of taxi and auto drivers come. He said that with Uttar Pradesh elections approaching, the move could have hurt the BJP politically, particularly as both Maharashtra and the two northern states are ruled by the party. According to him, the BJP could not afford to take the risk of losing the support of North Indian voters and was therefore compelled to grant a one-year extension.
