As the protests by autorickshaw and taxi drivers in
Maharashtra over the issue of Marathi language requirements continue, normal life was affected, with thousands of commuters stranded across the state.
The Maharashtra government’s stipulation of steep fines for those without proficiency in Marathi has spread widespread fear amongst autorickshaw and taxi drivers. This erupted into street protests in parts of Mumbai on Monday, forcing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to step in and address the panic.
The impact is already visible on Mumbai's roads. Commuters are having a hard time finding autos and taxis. Many have had to wait for 40 to 50 minutes. The strike's impact was felt in Mumbai's MMR region, including Kandivali, Malad, Goregaon, Bandra, Santacruz, Ghatkopar, Jogeshwari, Borivali, Govandi, Mankhurd, Shivajinagar, and Kurla.
Protesters have also taken to the streets, with traffic jammed on Mumbai’s Kandivali Link Road. The protesters blocked traffic by stopping auto-rickshaws on the road, causing inconvenience to passengers and drivers. A Marathi-speaking auto-rickshaw driver, Prakash Shejwal, was allegedly assaulted during the protest. According to MNS Charkop Block president Dinesh Salvi, the accused was handed over to the police after receiving a complaint.
Some drivers appeared to avoid taking long-distance passengers due to fear of disputes and action by the RTO or traffic police. In Lokhandwala, passengers were forced to walk or use private vehicles, while in Kranti Nagar, drivers apologised to passengers and appealed to them not to pressure them for rides to other areas.
A senior regional transport official at the Borivali RTO said they learnt that someone had spread misinformation among drivers that they would be fined Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 for not having working knowledge of Marathi.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has allayed the fears of autorickshaw drivers, stating the objective behind the government drive mandating "working knowledge" of Marathi was not to make the drivers language experts, but to ensure they can communicate in the local language for their work.
He said drivers had already been given additional time to learn the language and asserted that no licence had been cancelled.
"There is no reason to make them experts in Marathi. They should know work-related, basic Marathi," Fadnavis added.
State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has warned of action against RTO officials fining autorickshaw and taxi drivers for the Marathi requirement before their one-month deadline to learn the language expires.
He clarified that the August 12 government resolution stated that RTO officials will issue a month's notice to autorickshaw and taxi drivers who lack working knowledge of Marathi and grant them time to learn the language.
