Mumbai auto drivers block road, begin 3-day strike over Marathi rule
Autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai began a three-day strike on Monday. They are protesting the Marathi language requirement for their licenses. Many older drivers lack formal education and struggle with the new rule. Protesters face significant fines and demand reconsideration of the directive. They seek justice and time to comply with the language mandate.
Mumbai autorickshaw drivers initiated a three-day strike on Monday to voice their discontent over a Marathi language requirement imposed on auto-rickshaw, taxi, and cab drivers. The protest follows a statewide campaign to evaluate the practical Marathi proficiency of these drivers. One driver expressed frustration, stating, "Nobody is listening to us.
If you ask a 60-year-old person to suddenly speak Marathi, how will they do it? We want justice." Another driver highlighted the age factor, noting that many drivers were between 50 and 60 years old and had never received formal education, making it impossible for them to learn Marathi overnight. The drivers questioned the imposed fines, questioning how they could pay between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000.
The protest comes amid the statewide effort to assess the Marathi language skills of autorickshaw and taxi drivers, with authorities testing 9,233 drivers in Maharashtra on the second day of the drive. Out of these, 1,499 were found lacking practical Marathi knowledge, while in Mumbai, 722 among 3,942 tested drivers were found deficient in the language.
The disruption of traffic on Kandivali Link Road was also reported during the protest, causing delays and inconveniencing commuters.
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