Marathi proficiency must for Maharashtra cab drivers; literary groups takes on task

The members of several Maharashtra literary groups, including the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh and the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad, on Thursday expressed their willingness to teach Marathi to non-Marathi speakers, including rickshaw, taxi, and app-cab drivers.

The decision came days after the Maharashtra government made it mandatory for commercial vehicle drivers to interact with passengers in Marathi from May 1. Following the decision, state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, held a high-level meeting that marked the presence of administrative officials and literary figures.

In the meeting, the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad said that it would launch instructional classes through its 72 branches. The Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, on the other hand, said that it would commence online Marathi language training through its network of thousands of volunteer teachers. No fees will be charged to the drivers for this training.

As the suggestions poured from the literary societies, Sarnaik mentioned that the state government would draw up a curriculum shortly to serve the purpose.

PASSENGERS’ INCONVENIENCE REPORTED

The decision of the Maharashtra government followed multiple reports of passengers’ inconvenience due to the language barrier.

As per sources, many passengers, over the course of time, complained that commercial vehicle drivers are failing to interact with them in Marathi, as a vast section of them hail from other states.

To address the issue, the state government decided to implement the key measure of teaching Marathi to non-Marathi drivers.

Commenting on the matter, Sarnaik said, “Coinciding with the observance of 'Maharashtra Day,' a statewide campaign to inspect the licences of rickshaw and taxi drivers would be implemented. During this campaign—in addition to verifying compliance with other regulations—drivers will also be assessed to determine whether they possess a working knowledge of the Marathi language.”

He further clarified that the primary objective of this meeting was to dispel any unnecessary apprehension that may have arisen in the minds of some non-Marathi-speaking drivers regarding this matter.

Meanwhile, it is expected that several literary figures, including Ujjwala Mehendale (President of the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh), Mahesh Keluskar, Santosh Rane, Ashok Bagwe, Bal Kandalkar, Sunil Tambe, and Shivaji Gawade, among others, will join the campaign.

- Ends