MUMBAI: Mumbai’s commuters found themselves caught in the crossfire of language politics on Monday, as autorickshaw drivers spontaneously stayed off the roads over enforcement of the Marathi language requirement in the state.
For a daily wage driver, every day lost at the RTO means lost income.” Auto and taxi drivers, who form a critical component of Mumbai’s public transport system, are furious as the Regional Transport Office (RTO) steps up enforcement of the state government’s new Marathi language policy for them. The BJP-led Mahayuti government, in keeping with its sons-of-the-soil policy, or Marathi Manoos stand, has mandated that drivers have a working knowledge of Marathi. The government has also been holding Marathi training sessions for them. Yadav also wondered whether imposing language requirements on the drivers violates the constitutional right to livelihood in India. State transport minister Pratap Sarnaik hit back at Yadav, saying he should focus on the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections and not on Maharashtra’s politics. Sarnaik, a senior Shiv Sena leader, pulled no punches. He claimed neither Akhilesh nor his father, the late Mulayam Singh Yadav, had failed to generate employment in Uttar Pradesh during their tenures as chief ministers. “Maharashtra has provided a livelihood to North Indians for decades and has accommodated people from all over India. It is the responsibility of every Indian to respect Maharashtra’s pride and culture. “Efforts are being made to help them learn the language. The deadline has been extended three times. However, panic is spreading among drivers as the RTO steps up its language enforcement drive. Drivers who have completed the state-sponsored Marathi training are also struggling to obtain certificates. “We stand in queues for six or seven hours and sometimes return without the certificate.
Flying squads began roadside inspections in Mumbai last week, serving notices to 422 drivers who were unable to demonstrate practical knowledge of Marathi. Union representatives said more than 3,000 notices were issued across the state. Because the government told us to, “We attended the classes.
“That’s why people from their state were forced to migrate to Maharashtra and other places,” said Sarnaik. Yadav should not politicise the issue for electoral gains in Uttar Pradesh.” he said. “We are not trying to make our Hindi-speaking auto-taxi drive -brothers experts in Marathi but they should have a working knowledge of Marathi,” he insisted. Our Mahayuti government will not allow injustices based on language,” said Fadnavis. Now getting the certificate has become another struggle,” said an autorickshaw driver.
Batting for Mumbai’s auto and taxi drivers is Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who said on Monday that no language should be politicised. Joining the politically charged discourse on Monday was Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
