Mumbai, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has appealed to the Maharashtra government to defer its plan to make Marathi compulsory for autorickshaw and taxi drivers by six months to a year.
Earlier this month, his party colleague and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced that speaking Marathi will be mandatory for all licensed auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in Maharashtra from May 1.
A state-wide inspection campaign will be conducted through 59 regional and sub-regional offices of the Motor Transport Department to verify if drivers can read and write the language, Sarnaik had said.
The minister warned that the licenses of drivers who do not possess basic knowledge of Marathi will be cancelled.
Upset over the decision, some trade unions representing autorickshaw drivers have threatened to launch a state-wide agitation from May 4.
In a letter to Sarnaik on Saturday, Nirupam said the decision to make Marathi speaking compulsory for autorickshaw and taxi drivers has created unease.
There is no doubt that Marathi is the identity and pride of Maharashtra. But knowing any language depends on a person’s ability to learn and grasp it, noted Nirupam, a prominent North Indian face of the Shiv Sena.
“I humbly request to implement the decision in six months to a year,” he said in his letter.
This will give auto and taxi drivers the required time to learn Marathi, and they can come forward confidently, the former MP from Mumbai opined.
There is no opposition by auto and taxi drivers to learn Marathi, but they should be given some time, he added.
Last week, Nirupam urged the Maharashtra government to rethink its decision to hold Marathi exams for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, and give relaxation to those who speak broken or working Marathi.
He had said the language taught with love stays, while the one enforced only creates fear.
Nirupam, whose party is a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, emphasised the issue should be viewed with a humanitarian approach.
In a multicultural metropolis like Mumbai, over 70 per cent of autorickshaw and taxi drivers hail from Gujarat, North India, Punjab, and various parts of South India. They have carved out their place in the city through hard work, honestly supporting their families’ livelihoods and fuelling Mumbai’s fast-paced lifestyle, said the Shiv Sena leader.
At such a time, this decision is like a hanging sword over their employment. Fear and discontent are growing in the hearts of autorickshaw and taxi drivers, and there is a real risk of disruptions to Mumbai’s daily transportation system, he had said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.