Amid Marathi row, Shinde honours auto, taxi drivers who learnt Marathi
Amid the ongoing row over Maharashtra's Marathi language requirement for autorickshaw and taxi drivers, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday distributed certificates to drivers who had completed a Marathi language proficiency course.
Addressing a gathering of autorickshaw drivers in Borivali, Shinde said the drivers had learnt Marathi out of respect for the state's primary language and stressed that only a working knowledge of Marathi was needed for day-to-day conversations.
The development comes as the language requirement faces a legal challenge in the Bombay High Court, with four app-based cab drivers seeking to quash the state government's August 12 notification and stay its implementation.
Shinde said Marathi was a language that bound everyone together and noted that while Maharashtra may not be the "janmabhoomi" or birthplace of migrant drivers, it was their "karmabhoomi" or place of work.
He said speaking Marathi could help autorickshaw and taxi drivers communicate better with passengers and boost their business. "Spoken Marathi is easier than written Marathi," he said.
Recalling his own days as an autorickshaw driver, Shinde said the profession had played an important role in his life.
He also recalled that Marathi was granted classical language status by the Centre during his tenure as chief minister from June 2022 to December 2024.
On drivers who have refused to learn Marathi, Shinde said there were "fringe elements" in every community.
The Marathi language requirement has triggered protests among sections of autorickshaw and taxi drivers, while the Bombay High Court challenge against the rule is pending.
