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By:

Abhijit Joshi

31 August 2024 at 3:39:24 pm

Language on the Meter

The Marathi language rule for auto and taxi drivers can promote integration, but only if it does not become another instrument of identity politics. The political scenario in Maharashtra has changed after the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) agitation, and every political party is now trying to woo ‘Gen Z’ which could emerge as a significant vote bank by 2029. But Maharashtra’s political conversation has moved to a much more emotionally charged issue: the Marathi language requirement for...

Language on the Meter

The Marathi language rule for auto and taxi drivers can promote integration, but only if it does not become another instrument of identity politics. The political scenario in Maharashtra has changed after the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) agitation, and every political party is now trying to woo ‘Gen Z’ which could emerge as a significant vote bank by 2029. But Maharashtra’s political conversation has moved to a much more emotionally charged issue: the Marathi language requirement for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers. What began as a transport regulation has quickly become a political contest involving Marathi identity, migrant livelihoods and the BJP’s relationship with the sizeable North Indian electorate in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Language Barrier Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has had to step in to clarify that Hindi-speaking drivers are not expected to become experts in Marathi, but only need enough of the language to conduct their daily work. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, has attacked the policy, questioning whether language can become a barrier to earning a livelihood in another state. The Maharashtra government has made “working knowledge” of Marathi mandatory for auto-rickshaw, taxi and app-based cab drivers. The rule extends not only to traditional autos and taxis but also to drivers working with aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido. Compliance is linked to their ability to continue operating. RTO teams have been conducting practical tests rather than formal examinations. Drivers are asked basic questions and everyday phrases relating to destinations, fares, routes, meters, travel time and payments. A 16-question format has been reported, designed around situations a driver is likely to encounter with passengers. The scale of enforcement explains why the issue has suddenly become explosive. In the first five days of inspections, authorities checked 35,190 commercial passenger vehicles across Maharashtra, including 14,399 in the MMR, and issued 4,729 notices statewide, of which 2,239 were in the MMR. On August 24 alone, 1,392 drivers were checked in the MMR and 139 were found lacking the required proficiency. Drivers who fail the test are not immediately supposed to lose their livelihoods. They receive a notice and are given time to acquire the required working knowledge. Under the rules, however, continued non-compliance can eventually lead to suspension and, for repeated violations, cancellation of the licence or badge. That is where the policy becomes more complicated. For a driver who works 10–12 hours a day, has limited formal education or has lived in Mumbai for years without needing to speak Marathi fluently, learning a new language under the threat of losing his livelihood is understandably intimidating. Legal Problem There is also a legal question. The Bombay High Court struck down a similar requirement for autorickshaw permits in 2017, raising questions about the statutory basis and the manner in which the present rule is being enforced. The answer lies somewhere between “Marathi must be compulsory” and “nobody should be forced to learn Marathi”. Mumbai cannot function without communication. A passenger should be able to tell a driver where he wants to go, negotiate or understand the fare, ask for directions and communicate basic safety or emergency information. For that purpose, basic Marathi proficiency is a perfectly reasonable requirement for a public-facing transport worker. But basic conversational Marathi is very different from linguistic proficiency. That distinction should become the foundation of the government’s policy. Maharashtra has already taken one important corrective step by announcing 161 Marathi language training centres across the state and a dedicated RTO helpline to address complaints of harassment, illegal fines and procedural irregularities. In the MMR, 16 of the 48 earlier training centres are also being reopened. This should go further. Every driver receiving a notice should automatically be given access to a free, government-recognised Marathi course. The course should be short, practical and audio-visual, teaching perhaps 50–100 sentences relevant to driving rather than grammar, literature or writing. Drivers should be allowed multiple attempts, and the test should be standardised across all RTOs. The issue is not whether Marathi deserves protection. It does. Marathi is Maharashtra’s official and cultural language, and there is nothing unreasonable about expecting people who live and work here to acquire a basic knowledge of it. But Mumbai has historically succeeded because it has absorbed people from across India. The city does not need to choose between Marathi and Hindi. It can accommodate both. Political Minefield The BJP, meanwhile, faces a difficult balancing act. Its Maharashtra leadership cannot ignore Marathi sentiment, but it also cannot afford to alienate migrant communities that have traditionally formed an important part of its urban support base. The emergence of the BJP’s own labour cell criticising alleged harassment of non-Marathi drivers demonstrates just how delicate the issue has become. The labour cell has even threatened an MMR-wide strike if alleged harassment continues. For the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, the controversy offers an opportunity to reclaim the Marathi identity space traditionally associated with the Sena and the MNS. For the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), the challenge is different: it has criticised policies affecting drivers’ livelihoods while simultaneously trying to retain its Marathi identity credentials. The MNS, unsurprisingly, has adopted the most aggressive position, warning non-Marathi drivers to learn Marathi or leave Maharashtra. The Marathi passenger benefits if communication becomes easier. The non-Marathi driver benefits because he gains a practical skill and greater integration into Mumbai society. The government benefits because implementation becomes less confrontational. And Mumbai benefits because its public transport system becomes more inclusive rather than more polarised. The biggest losers would be the drivers themselves and ordinary commuters. A prolonged strike or large-scale suspension of licences could affect daily mobility across the MMR, particularly for passengers who depend on autos and taxis for last-mile connectivity. The Maharashtra government therefore has an opportunity to turn a politically sensitive controversy into a model of linguistic integration. The correct message should not be: “Speak Marathi or leave Mumbai.” It should be simpler: “You live and work in Maharashtra — learn enough Marathi to connect with the people you serve.” (The writer is a political observer. Views personal.)

Indian Shipbuilding A Must Win Marathon

Shipbuilding

With a coastline of 7500 KM, it is hard to imagine, that for the first 20 years (1947-1967) India had no ‘shipping ministry’. In 1967 a Shipping ministry “coupled” with ROAD transport was established. Since then, this ministry has been on a name changing ride, not once, not twice but six times. In 2009 the “ROAD Transport and Highways” was de-coupled and ‘Shipping’ ministry was formed. Turning point came in 2015 with a clear maritime vision for 2030 and 2047. Ministry was re-christened, aptly to Ministry of “Ports, Shipping and Waterways” in 2020.


Why is Shipbuilding important for a country?

a. A Shipyard becomes an opportunity hub and like a queen bee requires the support of an industrial colony to manufacture machinery and equipment.

b. National Shipyards support fleet renewal needs of the Navy.

c. Contributes to national GDP, increases inflow of FOREX.


Korea shipbuilding is 8% of GDP. Japan’s automobile industry is 2.9% of GDP. India’s shipbuilding a meagre 0.000578% of GDP. In context, India’s pharmaceutical industry, ranked third largest in the world is 1.72% of India’s GDP.


International Shipbuilding Market

The market is estimated to reach around USD 200 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.84%. While India is at bottom with 0.07% of world share, behind Philippines 1.5% and Vietnam 1%, however on the positive side, India has done well in taking care of its defence needs, with 37 of 39 Naval ships being built in India yards. Rear Admiral S Shrikhande researching on maritime as a Fellow at Wollongong University, Australia, says “Shipbuilding in India needs both, serious incentivisation and dogged determination and not harping on being a big ship breaking country. That Garden Reach shipyard has a $54 million order for merchant ships from a German owner, is a good sign.”


Were Shipyards of 20th century in Flight mode?

Prominent shipyards in India were built in the colonial period. Mazagon Dock 1774, Garden reach 1884, Hindustan shipyard 1941 to cater to British navy and merchant fleet needs. Cochin shipyard 1972, Adani Katupalli 2013, Reliance Naval and Engineering, Rajula Gujarat 1997 and others have limited capacity, hence a lot more work to do. Capt. Subhangshu Dutt (Singapore) a mariner and now a shipowner, says “GOI should hold hands in any collaboration till the marriage with the foreign entity is reasonably stable. He also suggests that “new shipbuilding sites should be given to existing successful shipyards since they have decades of experience and talent. Consortium of 3 or more parties may also be good idea”.


Shipbuilding GOLD

As per SPLASH report the demand for LCO2 carriers could reach 2,500 ships by 2050. As per other estimates, 40% of global fleet of ships could have wind propulsion by 2050. A surge in such vessels is due to an unparallel waves of decarbonization in the shipping industry. Demand for ships with ‘carbon neutral’ badges, such as Dual fuel, Wind assisted, Nuclear fuel ships, Hydrogen powered ships, Liquified CO2 (LCO2) carrier, is outstripping supply. A must in the ‘bucket list’ of every Shipyard. Pinning down a standard ROI in shipbuilding is not easy, but experts suggest it could range from 4% to 15% for the high demand ‘carbon neutral’ ships. While an LNG new build vessel could cost US$ 250 million upwards.


International collaboration

On China’s shipbuilding success story, Manoj Pandalanghat (Singapore) a mariner and ship owner believes that “China has around 50 active Shipyards. Each have a few large dry docks. In each dock two or more large vessels are built simultaneously. Thus, a single yard is able to roll out 2/3 vessels/month, 36 vessels/year and 50 shipyards roll out 1800 vessels/year”.


China could be a jaldi-5, but India needs a sturdy Mount Fiji. Besides technology, Japanese bring the most important hand baggage of soft-skills and culture, essential for success from keel laying to delivery. Maruti’s is a standing example.


Food for thought for New Delhi

a. Expertise: Hire Naval Architects and shipbuilding experts with current international experience.

b. Government assistance: Land, Financial support, subsidies and timebound clearances.

c. Monitoring: PMO should monitor the first 5 to 10 years till Shipbuilding takes-off on this long-haul flight to destination 2047.


India’s Shipbuilding is expected to grow to $237 billion by year 2047. On a back of the envelope calculations this works out to about 4% of India’s 2047 projected GDP of $ 5 trillion. While cars are driven on roads, however the Ministry of roads and transport has little to do with “Automobile manufacturing”. On a similar note, ‘Shipbuilding’ as an industry has little to do with Ports, Shipping and Waterways, thus it may be worthwhile to consider a separate ‘Ship-building’ wing in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways headed by a dynamic cabinet rank minister. Since 2047 targets are stiff and an uphill task, so in all probabilities, the officials in Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways are likely to push beneath the carpet, delays and failures of Shipbuilding with sweet success stories of “Ports, Shipping and Waterways” and if this does happen then India will not only miss the Shipbuilding bus of 21st century but a lot more from a national security and strategic perspective.


(The author is a Shipping and Marine consultant. Member Singapore Shipping Association and empaneled with IMO as a specialist consultant. Views personal.)

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