Mumbai auto strike: Drivers protest Marathi language mandate, commuters face trouble

Commuters outside Kandivli station try to stop autorickshaws. Pics/Satej Shinde

With the authorities now giving out notices to autorickshaw drivers across Mumbai, mandating them to speak Marathi, a section of them on Monday launched a three-day strike, leaving many office goers and other commuters in distress.

Several people took to social media, stating that they were asked to deboard the autorickshaws. While others posted videos of drivers demanding the removal of the Marathi language mandate.

However, these were random groups of drivers that took up the initiative. None of the trade unions have officially supported the strike call.

[popcorn number="August 20" desc="Day transport department launched statewide drive" class="Default"]

Commuters wait in line for autorickshaws outside Malad station

Commuter Speak

"A strike of any mode of transport on a working day, especially on a Monday, is always inconvenient. Though it was not a large-scale protest, it did hamper travel in the morning and in the evening," said Smita Joshi, a Kandivli resident.

"The share autos were working fine. But the drivers running on meters have refused to work. While today's protest wasn't big, authorities should definitely take a sign from this start of retaliation as it won't take long before this converts into a major protest," said Rajesh Sawant, a commuter from Borivli.

Police officials manage the crowd waiting for autorickshaws at Dr Ambedkar Chowk in Kandivli West

"I lost an hour this morning just trying to catch an auto. I left my law college in Kandivli West around noon to go to my residence. Many autos were parked in Kandivli lanes, but they all refused services, citing a strike against the Marathi mandate," said a commuter from Malad.

State warns drivers

The Maharashtra Transport Department launched a statewide drive from August 20 to check drivers' knowledge of the Marathi language. The Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) had, on August 20, issued notices to over 1200 autorickshaws and taxis for lacking knowledge of Marathi. According to State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, 1.65 lakh drivers have undergone Marathi training and received certificates. Sarnaik had stated that drivers who fail to meet the requirement could lose their badges.

People try to convince an autorickshaw driver outside Kandivli railway station

Voices

Ajay Dubey, an autorickshaw driver
‘I have been driving in Mumbai for the last 16 years and have always served passengers honestly. I do not speak Marathi, but Mumbai has given me work and livelihood. The proposed language requirement and strike are worrying for drivers like me. We should not be denied our livelihood because we do not know Marathi'

Rahul Murat Yadav, an autorickshaw driver,
‘I have been running an auto in Mumbai for nearly 10 years. I understand the importance of Marathi, but making it a condition for our livelihood will put non-Marathi drivers in difficulty. We have families to support and have worked here peacefully for years. The government should find a practical solution'

Prakash Tukaram Salvi, 50, an autorickshaw driver from Malad
‘I started work around 9 am, and by afternoon, with heightened demand and inconvenienced commuters, it was clear that limited autos are running today. We didn't hear anything from our unions, so I guess this is an impromptu strike with self-participation from drivers who are affected by the Marathi language mandate. I believe it is not that big of an issue; if drivers just learn basic 10 per cent conversational Marathi, the issue will be sorted'

Dayashankar Yadav, an autorickshaw driver
‘For 20 years, Mumbai has been our workplace, and we have earned our living by driving autos. We respect Marathi and Maharashtra, but many of us are not fluent in the language. If the union goes on strike over this issue, drivers like us will suffer. Our livelihood should not be affected'

Ravi Tiwari, 37, an autorickshaw driver from Goregaon
‘No strike communication was shared by our union, so we haven't observed any strike. Most of the autos that operate on sharing fare are running today; however, availability of regular metered-fare rickshaws is almost half, with drivers affected by the Marathi mandate observing a strike. We are busier today with continuous fares'