Source : PTI | Responding to a demand by representatives of the migrant auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers operating in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said they would be given one year to learn functional Marathi.
The announcement by Fadnavis came ahead of the next year’s crucial assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the state from which a sizable number of migrant drivers hail.
Notably, only a week ago the Transport Department headed by Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik had issued notices to the drivers who failed a Marathi test conducted by RTO officials on roads.
No action would be taken against such drivers for one year, Fadnavis told reporters here.
The BJP-led Maharashtra government’s announcement in April this year that drivers of commercial vehicles must have functional knowledge of the state’s primary language had been criticised by Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.
Fadnavis said that representatives of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers’ organisations, led by Haji Arfat Shaikh, met him, and expressed their support for the mandatory Marathi rule. They were willing to learn the language, the representatives told him.
However, they pointed out that drivers belong to different age groups and many of them had left formal education years ago, making it difficult to learn Marathi in a short period, the chief minister 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 this period, Marathi classes will be organised and study material will be provided to help the migrant drivers learn functional Marathi, he said.
“They have themselves come forward, and are willing to learn. Therefore, it was necessary to give them time,” the chief minister said.
The use of Marathi in public places, especially in Mumbai which has a significant population of migrants from other states, has been an emotive issue in Maharashtra’s politics for long, with parties such as the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena championing the Marathi cause.
The BJP-led state government had announced in April that non-Marathi drivers must learn basic Marathi, and set a deadline of August 15 while organising Marathi classes for them.
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 state-wide checking.
Transport Minister Sarnaik had said that the drivers failing the Marathi test would be given one month to acquire the working knowledge of the language, failing which their badges will be suspended for three months.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde said 1.60 lakh non-Marathi drivers have learnt Marathi in the last four months, which was a satisfactory outcome.
He was present at an event in suburban Kandivali where certificates were distributed to 15,000-20,000 drivers who had attended the Marathi language course. There was an urge among the drivers to learn the language, Shinde said.
Sanjay Nirupam, a prominent North Indian leader of Shinde’s party, welcomed the reprieve for migrant drivers and thanked Fadnavis and Shinde for the decision.
Shiv Sena MLAs who have significant north Indian population in their constituencies had organised Marathi language courses for drivers in their constituencies.
