Key facts
- Maharashtra, India, has granted taxi and tuk-tuk drivers an additional year to learn the state's official language, Marathi.
- The rule, initially implemented on August 20, required drivers to have a 'working knowledge' of Marathi.
- Protests by drivers' unions, many of whom are migrants, led to the extension.
- The government aims to improve communication and ensure safer journeys, but drivers feared losing their livelihoods.
- Training classes are being offered to help drivers learn essential Marathi phrases for work.
An Indian state has granted taxi and tuk-tuk drivers an additional year to learn the local language, Marathi, following protests against a new mandatory rule. Transport officials in Maharashtra had begun testing drivers' proficiency in Marathi, the state's official language, on August 20. Those who failed were given a month to learn the language or risk having their licenses suspended or canceled.
The government stated the requirement was intended to improve communication between drivers and passengers and enhance safety. However, drivers' unions raised concerns that workers, many of whom are migrants from other parts of India, could lose their livelihoods while still in the process of learning.
Amid the protests, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a one-year extension, acknowledging that many drivers have been out of formal education for years. State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik indicated that drivers are expected to learn Marathi during this period and that further extensions might be considered.
Maharashtra has nearly 979,000 valid tuk-tuk and taxi permits. The extension has provided relief to drivers like Lakhan Pandey in Mumbai, who feared a loss of daily income. The controversy has also revived long-standing debates in Maharashtra concerning language, migration, and employment, issues that have historically influenced the state's politics since its formation in 1960 as a Marathi-speaking state.
Analysts note that while learning the local language is reasonable, political parties have often amplified such issues for political gain. Some argue that individuals working in the state for years should already possess basic Marathi knowledge, with refusal to learn being termed 'linguistic arrogance'. The government is organizing classes focused on essential Marathi phrases for drivers, with approximately 166,000 drivers having already completed training and passed oral tests.