Transport minister urges non-Marathi drivers to learn Marathi during stay on rule
Pratap Sarnaik said the stay on the revised practical Marathi rule until August 18, 2027 is not a cancellation, and asked drivers to use it to learn the language.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has appealed to non-Marathi drivers of autorickshaws, taxis and app-based vehicles in Maharashtra not to delay learning Marathi. He said that for those doing business in the state, learning Marathi to speak to the public is not merely an expectation but a social responsibility. Sarnaik told the drivers not to turn a blind eye to learning Marathi on the strength of the stay.
Sarnaik made the appeal in connection with the second phase of the "Maharashtra Mera! Marathi Meri Samvad Bhasha!" campaign. He asked all non-Marathi drivers to join this phase and learn practical Marathi.
The campaign is being run as the "Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Marathi Language Course Abhiyan". The Transport Department, the Rajya Marathi Vikas Sanstha and the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad are running it jointly. Its aim is that every driver who lives and works in Maharashtra and deals with local people every day can speak to passengers in Marathi with confidence.
In the first phase, centres were started at more than 180 places across the state. About 1,800 teachers have trained more than 1,65,800 non-Marathi drivers in practical Marathi. Even so, about 8 to 9 lakh non-Marathi drivers are still driving autorickshaws, taxis and app-based vehicles in the state. The second phase has been launched to reach the remaining drivers.
Teaching practical Marathi to drivers on this scale in a limited time is a big challenge. Sarnaik has therefore appealed to non-Marathi drivers who have not yet learnt Marathi to enrol in a training class at once or to learn Marathi online.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stayed implementation of the revised rule on practical Marathi until August 18, 2027, at the demand of some autorickshaw and taxi associations. Sarnaik said drivers should bear in mind that the stay does not mean the rule has been cancelled. He said the period should be used to learn Marathi. He was clear that once the rule comes into force after August 18, 2027, drivers should not assume that an excuse or an extension will be found.
Sarnaik said, "The government has opened the doors of training for learning Marathi. The stay is not a chance to run away from learning Marathi, but a period given to prepare yourselves. Learn practical Marathi in this period. After August 18, 2027, the rules will be strictly enforced when the rule is implemented."
According to the minister, the campaign aims to preserve Maharashtra's language, culture and social harmony and to make conversation between passengers and drivers easier. Sarnaik gave the message "Learn Marathi today, avoid action tomorrow" and appealed to non-Marathi drivers to join the second phase in large numbers.
