1 week ago

Maharashtra Marathi Rule Highlights the State’s Linguistic Diversity

Maharashtra wants auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to know enough Marathi to communicate at work.

The state has people who speak many different languages.

Many people whose main language is Hindi or Urdu did not say they also knew Marathi.

However, nearly 44 per cent of people whose main language is Marathi said they knew Hindi too.

This shows that language-sharing is not the same across all groups.

The Census asks people about their main language and up to two other languages.

It can show whether people know more than one language.

It cannot show how well they speak those languages.

Key facts

Policy: Auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers must have a working knowledge of Marathi.
Training: The Maharashtra State Transport Department conducted Marathi language training for out-of-state auto-rickshaw drivers.
Hindi speakers: A majority of primary Hindi speakers did not report Marathi as an additional language.
Urdu speakers: A majority of primary Urdu speakers did not report Marathi as an additional language.
Marathi speakers: Nearly 44 per cent of primary Marathi speakers reported Hindi as a subsidiary language.
Census measure: The Census records a primary language and up to two subsidiary languages.
Limitation: The data measures bilingualism or trilingualism, not language fluency.

indianexpress.com · 1 week ago