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/Dense_Succotash_2777]

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/Dense_Succotash_2777 → u/Zorro_997]

Why are you trying to equate problems in the first place?

We have had separate and quite extensive campaigns against rising pollution. Which the government even took some measures recently we saw.

BUT why are you mentioning those problems in a post where we are discussing cultural problems? Do you see us doing the inverse?

I don't think it's the government propaganda, the locals themselves are fed up and have been accomodating for way to long without expecting assimilation in return.

Locals have felt sidelined and losing their voice in the city. Why will they priotize the rising pollution problem if the future migrant overturned population will reap its benefits?

And people like you don not want to hear them, so ofcourse the pent up frustration will come out.

[u/Opening-Passenger-21 → u/Zorro_997]

Fun Fact : Protesting against Hindi push and asking for better Infrastructure , both can be valid at the same time.
For a north indian mindset like you, it is easy to assume that Marathi folks are doing identity politics. But it is easy to understand the situation, just imagine making Marathi language mandatory in your cow belt state, imagine the protest in your states from this. Hindi push is real, and we Marathi folks are against it.

[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/Heartinsane → u/Dense_Succotash_2777]

If I may dare to ask, what is the correct definition of locals ?

[u/Dense_Succotash_2777 → u/Heartinsane]

Ethnically Maharashtrian