Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has rejected the argument that Mumbai's cosmopolitan character should allow people to communicate in whichever language they choose without knowing Marathi, as the state pushes for auto and taxi drivers to learn the state's language.
Asked whether people in Mumbai, where multiple languages are spoken, should be free to communicate without the compulsion to learn Marathi, Sarnaik was unequivocal: “Bilkul nahi chalega.”
“This is Maharashtra. Mumbai is not outside Maharashtra,” Sarnaik said, arguing that the state's linguistic identity cannot be separated from the city.
The minister linked the issue to the history of the formation of Maharashtra, saying 106 Hutatmas, or martyrs, had sacrificed their lives for Maharashtra and Mumbai. He said people coming to Mumbai from different parts of the country are welcome to work and do business, but must respect Marathi language and culture.
“Desh ke vibhinn rajyon se aaj bhi aap aate hain. Aap bhi doosre rajya se aaye hue ho. Aap rozi-roti kamaate ho. Aap bhi vyavsaay karte ho,” Sarnaik said.
However, he drew a line at what he described as “mujori”, meaning arrogance — arguing that migrants cannot come to Mumbai, earn money and refuse to speak Marathi.
The comments come amid the Maharashtra government's enforcement of rules requiring auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to have basic working knowledge of Marathi. Sarnaik said the policy itself is not new, pointing to a 1989 rule that, according to him, was not being properly implemented. The government has now begun issuing notices to drivers who do not meet the requirement. Sarnaik said more than 1,000 notices have already been issued.
Drivers are being given time to learn the language rather than having their licences immediately cancelled. According to the minister, those who fail to learn Marathi could first face a three-month licence suspension, followed by cancellation if they still do not comply.
The minister said the objective was not to hurt anyone's livelihood, but to ensure that people working in Maharashtra respect and understand the local language.
Sarnaik also rejected concerns that drivers were not being given enough opportunity or facilities to learn Marathi. He said the government had deployed teachers, opened classes across the state and continued the Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Marathi Bhasha Abhiyan.
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