In a major announcement, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik On Tuesday declared that all commercial vehicles registered with the state’s transport department must display social messages in Marathi. This directive is set to take effect from Gudi Padwa, the Marathi New Year, marking a key step in the state’s ongoing efforts to preserve and promote its official language.
“Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra, where the majority of citizens are Marathi speakers. It is the government’s duty to preserve the Marathi language. Many social messages, advertisements, and educational information on commercial vehicles are currently in Hindi or other languages (for example, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao). This limits the promotion and dissemination of Marathi. Displaying these messages in Marathi will provide more useful information to the people of Maharashtra and promote the Marathi language," Pratap Sarnaik said.
This new initiative is part of a broader push by the Maharashtra government to further establish Marathi as the language of communication across various sectors. Earlier this year, the Maharashtra government passed a resolution requiring all employees in government and semi-government offices to use Marathi when interacting with visitors.
The rule applies to state-run offices, corporations, and related organizations, with exceptions for visitors from non-Marathi-speaking regions or foreign countries. Any violation of this rule could lead to formal complaints and necessary actions against the offending government officers. The implementation of this policy is in line with the recognition of Marathi as a classical language by the Indian government last year, alongside other regional languages like Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali. In 2022, a bill was also passed requiring Marathi to be used in civic bodies, corporations, and local authorities within the state.