To protest a crackdown on non-Marathi-speaking auto and taxi drivers lacking proficiency in the language, the drivers in Kandivali of Mumbai staged a rasta-roko on Monday, August 24, claiming they are being “harassed” and “warned” by others in the drivers’ community since the rule was implemented.

The non-Marathi-speaking drivers blocked roads on Kandivali Link Road near Laljipada, disrupting traffic during peak hours on a Monday and prompting a heavy police deployment.

The protest started around 9 am as dozens of non-Marathi-speakers gathered in the area over allegations that some native Marathi-speaking auto drivers had been stopping migrant drivers, warning them to learn the language.

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“We were being constantly harassed and stopped by native Marathi speakers and asked to learn the language by hook or by crook, forcing us to take this step,” said Sunil Yadav, a non-Marathi driver in Maharashtra.

‘Divide among auto-rickshaw community’

Sunil Yadav, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, claimed the Marathi enforcement campaign across the state was creating a divide within what he described as an otherwise peaceful auto-rickshaw community. He also claimed that those lacking proficiency in the Marathi language are being fined Rs 5,000, questioning how a driver earning around Rs 500 a day could afford such a huge penalty.

The drivers’ protest, which lasted about 1.5 hours, came on the fourth day of the Transport Department’s statewide campaign against drivers lacking “functional knowledge of Marathi”.

The non-Marathi-speaking drivers blocked roads near Laljipada

Starting August 20, RTO officials across Maharashtra began issuing notices to those who have not yet learned the language, giving them a month.

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Failure to comply could result in suspension of their licences and public service vehicle (PSV) badges for three months. Repeated violations could lead to permanent suspension of their licences.

In the first two days of the campaign, RTO officials checked approximately 8,000 auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) for Marathi proficiency and served notices to 1,326 drivers.

The crackdown on non-Marathi speakers has also reignited fears of loss of livelihood. Many said they have been unable to secure places in the Marathi education centers to learn the language.

Consequently, under the ‘Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Marathi Shikvani Abhiyan’, only 1.25 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi permit holders completed the programme, while over 17,000 were still awaiting completion, and 7,750 had to reappear for the exam as of August 15.