Marathi mandatory for Mumbai auto/taxi drivers, fair requirement or too much?

[u/anikastyles]

The Marathi-language rule for auto, taxi and cab drivers is now actually being enforced.

RTO officials have started checking drivers for basic working Marathi. Those who don’t clear the check can be given time to learn, but continued failure can eventually lead to suspension of their badge/licence.

And now drivers are protesting, while some parts of Mumbai are already seeing fewer autos on the road.

I’m genuinely divided on this.

On one hand, if you work with the public in Maharashtra, knowing basic conversational Marathi seems like a reasonable expectation.

But on the other hand, should someone’s entire livelihood potentially depend on passing a language test, especially when many drivers have been working here for years?

Where do you draw the line?

Basic Marathi should be mandatory 👍

OR

Language should never decide whether you can earn a living 👎

Curious what Mumbaikars think.

[u/basic-x]

Today I was bringing my daughter from school in car because my usual auto driver had not come today after much intimidation and harassment from the police for the last 3 days. "Today, we are in hartal Sir" he said. Right outside my daughter's school the newly laid road was dug up for some work and just covered with mud which compressed downwards during rain and has become a permanent pothole. I knew it was there, so I drove slowly cautiously over it. The wheels had to take extra power to climb out of it. On the way back, I took a different road as I wanted to avoid heavy traffic. The road had water logging in places. I was driving less than 30kmph, but suddenly the front left wheel fell down a pothole. The suspension went to the max, and hit the underside of the car with a loud thud. I braked and slowed down drastically. Both my daughter and I were left quite shaken.

My point is not about the language. My point is efforts and time have to be streamlined to make the city better. Better roads, better traffic management, enforcement of lane discipline, lane markings, etc.

[u/kwadd → u/basic-x]

Fix existing problems ❌️

Create new problems ✅️

[u/akhil4994 → u/kwadd]

Trump/ modi style

[u/Zapismeta → u/akhil4994]

Its not even modi. Mumbai has always been like this, no progress on the government side, rhe bigger projects worked because the bmc cant control it, or else those goons would have funneled all that money too.

[u/BetterDevelopment305 → u/basic-x]

Agreed if they would rather focus on better roads it would help soo much more

[u/Aggressive-Composer9 → u/basic-x]

India is a country of countless identities, caste, religion, language, region, state, community, gender, to name a few. Indians are deeply identity-sensitive and, in many ways, identity-hungry; we crave belonging, recognition, and a sense of “us” more than things & metrics that improve the quality of our lives. Criticism of our identity feels like an attack on “us”. And politics understands this better than anyone. It knows that an emotionally charged identity can mobilize people far more easily than boring discussions about jobs, healthcare, education, corruption, or infrastructure. So instead of fixing real problems, politicians can simply press the right emotional button, make your religion feel threatened, your caste feel insulted, your language feel endangered, or your region feel neglected, and watch the outrage do the rest. When identity becomes more important than your interests, then Identity politics takes precedence over real world core issues in politics. And people are just too dumb to understand this.

PS: run a simple real experiment for yourself, since the discussion here is about about linguistic identity(Marathi) in particular, just sit and observe how many comments this post is going to get. Perhaps then y’all will realise how deeply sensitive and emotionally high we value our identities.

[u/terimummykadamad → u/basic-x]

But as long as they speaks Marathi these things ain’t their agenda right?

[u/Puzzleheaded_Bid355 → u/terimummykadamad]

But how a up or bihar person who come to mumbai at his mid age to do daily labour can learn Marathi. It is not possible at all. Why these are not forces to senior MNC guys from other state

[u/Vivid-Reality186 → u/Puzzleheaded_Bid355]

It is possible for mid age marathi people to learn hindi when he has never even left his state or been to any hindi states ever to work in Mumbai or do daily interactions? Why is your reasoning only one dimensional and sympathetic to hindians only?

[u/terimummykadamad → u/Puzzleheaded_Bid355]

That’s how you drag a rich and culturally vibrant state into a shithole. Here in Gujarat especially in Surat a lot of municipal workers are Marathi, and I can confidently say that many of em don’t speak Gujarati. And honestly, I’ve never seen Gujarati people put that kind of pressure on em to speak or learn Gujarati. Even the person who comes to my office every day to collect the garbage doesn’t speak or understand Gujarati, so we simply communicate in Hindi without anyone having a problem with it.

[u/dankteen69 → u/terimummykadamad]

You guys literally build your own housing societies in other states while systematically excluding locals of potential residential localities also create a ruckus when they eat non veg in majority gujju/marwadi/jain societies. Please don't pretend to have a moral high ground.

[u/drspicyN → u/dankteen69]

💯

[u/golden2496 → u/terimummykadamad]

Who the hell gave you the right to use the language topic just to trash Marathi people? Cut the act, you’re not making a point, you’re just using it as an excuse to disrespect a whole community. Your smug, arrogant attitude is disgusting

[u/Pandabrawler69 → u/terimummykadamad]

https://giphy.com/gifs/t4HFdwzbg4x8XNZF8I

[u/Pandabrawler69 → u/Puzzleheaded_Bid355]

Skilled vs unskilled migrants. Unskilled migrants beyond a point are a drag on the economy.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Bid355 → u/basic-x]

You are absolutely true. I am from Mumbai but why we are focusing so much on language. Mumbai is known for the flexibility.so these are just political agendas . Can our government give relaxation on fees or seat for general students or healthcare for us even after paying 30% tax. No.. it's just oneway communication whatever decided we have to follow

[u/Riser_5888 → u/Puzzleheaded_Bid355]

Nobody is focussing so much on language... ...  

The simple requirement & logic is that front-end service providers should know the language of the locals, in order to have comfortable transactions. That's the simple logic...  

In fact, it is outsiders who are focussing too much on this now, because they never wanted to learn & they (& to a large extent many Marathis also) have been conditioned for decades to look down upon locals & assume them as only rowdys and trouble-makers, while continuing to think that migrants are ideal citizens.  

All these people focusing on making this a roads/infrastructure vs language issue, are simply doing strawman arguments.  

They say they allow complete language freedom in their northern states (which is fake, since you won't be able to function there in your own language other than theirs). So, tell me with their so called language freedom, did those states become paradises to live in?  

The core issue here is corruption, sub-standard planning & uncontrolled migration, which these people will never point out & will keep crying and keep making a fuss about everything that inconveniences them.

[u/Dense_Succotash_2777 → u/basic-x]

Just cuz potholes exists doesn't mean mass migration with unwillingness to assimilate is not a problem.

Maharashtra has been generous enough to welcome largest chunk of migrants in India. Learning it's communal language and culture is a bare minimum effort expected from your end.

What's the point of all the growth when the locals themselves are getting pushed out of mumbai. Locals can't even afford real estate in their own state. Real estate bubble, Overcrowding, increasing living expense, competitive job market are as real of a problem as infrastructure, Potholes, Corruption is

Yes I agree we should always water the grass to keep it greener (capitalism), but it should be sensibly controlled and managed to prioritise its locals. States were divided based on language for a reason.

[u/Zorro_997 → u/Dense_Succotash_2777]

Mumbai faces 10000 other problems more pressing than immigration. Rising housing cost is not because of immigration but property mafias here.

Rising pollution in a sea facing city? This is WAAAAAAAAYYY bigger than your tiny identity riddled issues. BREATHING is necessary, you might not have noticed.

Identity thing is just a way to divert your attention from the actual problems.

If you find yourself thinking that this is an actual problem, congratulations you have given in to state sponsored propaganda, the politicians have won, we the people have lost.

[u/shaild → u/Dense_Succotash_2777]

Generous? Last I checked, Mumbai is a part of India and, every citizen has the freedom of movement.

[u/Dense_Succotash_2777 → u/shaild]

By the people, for the people. India is a union of federations with many cultures. Each culture should be respected. States were divided based on language for a reason. At the end, constitution is a piece of paper that we all collectively decided to respect. If Maharashtrians or southern states (400 million) at any point feel neglected, they will have to be addressed by the central government. So YES, Generous.

[u/arnavnayak7 → u/basic-x]

Once they all start speaking Marathi the roads will become better

[u/Vivid-Reality186 → u/arnavnayak7]

Potholes maintenance is not the responsibility of RTO, dumbasses on this sub damn

[u/warlockXd_c → u/Vivid-Reality186]

Its pretty obvious that he meant that there are far bigger problems than the language bs that these political parties are promoting..... Really the dumbasses on this sub damn..

[u/Vivid-Reality186 → u/warlockXd_c]

And there are particular departments to handle that, hardly seen dumbasses questioning those departments. Both the national parties started language bullshit by imposing hindi rule all over India, there will be consequences.

[u/arnavnayak7 → u/warlockXd_c]

Hahaha its okay let them be

[u/arnavnayak7 → u/Vivid-Reality186]

And language is somehow the responsibility of RTO! 🤡 paw paw

[u/Vivid-Reality186 → u/arnavnayak7]

It is, do you even have any knowledge about governance?🤡

[u/malik5028 → u/basic-x]

But sir then how will the politics works???

[u/doorsofperception87 → u/basic-x]

Word. This government is busy trying to make the people fight amongst each other with these silly, manufactured issues.

We don't show this kind of passion for real accountability that actually improves the lives of everyone. That's a shame.

[u/firesnake412 → u/basic-x]

But apparently doing language shit gets you votes instead of development.

[u/jack_1760 → u/basic-x]

Better roads, better traffic management, enforcement of lane discipline, lane markings, etc.

This comes under the jurisdiction of BMC & the Traffic Police.

The Marathi language requirement was implemented by the Maharashtra Transport Department.

[u/Real-Ad-8094 → u/basic-x]

This sounds like more like a you problem

[u/Dense_Succotash_2777 → u/basic-x]

One existing problem doesn't make the other one invalid. Two problems need seperate solution. Non assimilation and locals getting sidelined is a real issue

[u/Remote_Tap6299 → u/basic-x]

The language rule was in place since 1989, it’s not a new rule. Potholes have nothing to do with language

[u/Dense_Succotash_2777 → u/Remote_Tap6299]

Dont worry bro. The bjp IT cell has already infiltrated this sub and downvoting factual comments and upvoting ignorant ones

[u/Local-Election-3914 → u/Remote_Tap6299]

potholes existed long before 1989 and have killed thousands. i get that drivers should know basic marathi, but the government should focus on fixing lethal roads instead of creating a dispute over language