5 min readApr 30, 2026 11:23 AM IST First published on: Apr 30, 2026 at 11:23 AM ISTThe directive to taxi and autorickshaw drivers to demonstrate their proficiency in Marathi has been mercifully postponed from May 1 to August 15 by the Government of Maharashtra. Apart from the irrationality of this proposal, it is doubtful if it is constitutionally permissible.Article 19(1)(d) guarantees every citizen the fundamental right to move freely throughout India. Article 19(1)(e) gives every citizen the fundamental right to reside and settle in any part of the Union Territory of India. Under Article 19(1)(g), any citizen can practice any profession or carry on any occupation, trade, or business. These fundamental rights can be restricted only by a law made by the Maharashtra legislature and not by executive instructions. Any restriction has to also be reasonable and in the interests of the general public. Equally important is Article 21, which protects the right to life and which has been repeatedly interpreted to include the right to livelihood. Thus, any attempt at such linguistic compulsion may not pass judicial muster.AdvertisementIn the opinion of this writer, neither Maharashtra nor any other state can amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, or make any law that makes it mandatory for a citizen to be able to read and write the regional language as a condition precedent to own or operate a taxi or autorickshaw. A mere amendment to the Motor Vehicle Rules will not do.Apart from the unconstitutional nature of this move, it is also irrational. Where does one draw the line? If taxi and auto drivers must compulsorily know Marathi, can the same restriction be placed on nurses and doctors working in Maharashtra? Will such a proposal be permissible? A Bihari engineer or a Bengali chartered accountant or any educated white-collar employee can work and settle in Maharashtra without any knowledge of Marathi, but a person from Eastern UP who comes to Mumbai to drive a taxi or an auto because of back-breaking poverty must have a working knowledge.The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution has 22 official languages. Any citizen, irrespective of his mother tongue, can carry on his occupation in any part of India. A working knowledge of Marathi can be a condition only when it is indispensable to the job or work that a person has to do.AdvertisementThe move by Maharashtra will have adverse national consequences, if other states follow suit. There are reports that similar demands are being made in Karnataka. The imposition of conditions requiring knowledge of regional languages may give short-term political benefits. But it can have disastrous consequences for the nation.Apart from individual states raising linguistic barriers, there is an equal need to moderate the imposition of Hindi. The recasting of our criminal laws without any significant change is an example of avoiding the unnecessary use of Hindi. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is now renamed as Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the old sections have simply been renumbered in the new Act. The Criminal Procedure Code and the Evidence Act have also been renamed. The titles of the new enactments are incomprehensible to most persons in southern India. One cannot forget the anti-Hindi riots that engulfed Tamil Nadu in the late 1960s. And the new laws have not made the slightest difference to the problems that face the criminal justice system.you may likeThe first step that former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew took in 1965 was to make English, not Chinese, the official language of Singapore. This was a critical step in securing the economic progress of the small nation. The insistence on only the regional language being used in government schools also requires reconsideration. Knowing English is, unfortunately, necessary, particularly for the youth from underprivileged sections of society, for easier access to better-paying jobs. A combined use of English, Hindi and the relevant state’s regional language is the urgent need.This is a time when the nation needs to be united. The problems we face are monumental. Growing unemployment and economic slowdown can be tackled only when we stop making decisions geared towards winning the next assembly election, and choose instead decisions designed to have long-term national benefits. In 1956, Indian states were sadly divided on linguistic lines. Our states must not take decisions that weaken the Indian or Bharatiya identity or make it difficult for persons in one state to migrate to and work in another state. We have an ambitious plan for a Viksit Bharat@2047. To achieve it, we must not take steps that lead to a vibhajit Bharat or a divided India.The writer is a Maharashtrian, born in Mumbai, settled in Chennai, and mainly practices in New Delhi