Marathi now mandatory for drivers. Census shows most Hindi, Urdu speakers don’t know it
While govt makes Marathi mandatory for auto, taxi drivers, 58% of primary Hindi speakers and 71% of Urdu speakers did not report knowing Marathi; 44% of Marathi speakers reported Hindi as a language they spoke
As Maharashtra steps up its Marathi language push, Census data reveals a state far more linguistically mixed than the language debate suggests. A majority of primary Hindi and Urdu speakers did not report Marathi as an additional language, while nearly 44 per cent of primary Marathi speakers reported Hindi as one.
The numbers offer a useful perspective as the state begins enforcing its requirement that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers have a working knowledge of Marathi. They show Marathi has been adopted by a sizeable section of people whose primary language is something else, but the extent varies sharply across communities.
The Census records a person’s primary language and up to two other languages they know, classified as “subsidiary languages”. A person whose primary language is Hindi but who also knows Marathi would have Marathi recorded as a subsidiary language, and a third language, if known, as a second. The data measures how many people are bilingual or trilingual; it does not measure fluency.
Among Maharashtra’s 14.48 million primary Hindi speakers, 6.10 million reported Marathi as an additional language and 8.38 million did not, 42.15 per cent against 57.85 per cent.
The gap is wider among Urdu speakers. Of the state’s 7.54 million primary Urdu speakers, 2.19 million reported Marathi as an additional language and 5.35 million did not, 29.11 per cent against 70.89 per cent.
The pattern varies across other communities too. Among primary Gujarati speakers, 30.79 per cent reported Marathi as an additional language. The figure was 53.62 per cent among Telugu speakers and 57.2 per cent among Kannada speakers, but only 17.78 per cent among Tamil speakers.
Marathi speakers themselves are highly multilingual, with Hindi the most widely reported additional language. Maharashtra has 77.46 million primary Marathi speakers, of whom 33.73 million reported Hindi as a subsidiary language, more than twice the 14.48 million people whose primary language is Hindi.
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Of these, 32.66 million reported Hindi as their first subsidiary language and another 1.07 million as their second, together 43.55 per cent of primary Marathi speakers.
The language data is from the 2011 Census of India, the latest for which detailed, comparable language and bilingualism data is available. No similarly detailed, updated Census data has been released since.
One thing to watch on the fourth paragraph: folding “42.15 per cent against 57.85 per cent” straight after the two absolute numbers reads slightly denser than the original’s separate sentence. If a sub-editor wants it split back out for readability, that costs you about 8 words back, still well under 400.
Zeeshan Shaikh is the Associate Editor who heads The Indian Express' Mumbai reporting team. He is recognized for his highly specialized Expertise in analyzing the complex dynamics of Maharashtra politics and critical minority issues, providing in-depth, nuanced, and Trustworthy reports.
Expertise
Senior Editorial Role: As an Associate Editor leading the Mumbai reporting team, Zeeshan Shaikh holds a position of significant Authority and journalistic responsibility at a leading national newspaper.
Core Specialization: His reporting focuses intensely on two interconnected, high-impact areas:
Maharashtra Politics & Urban Power Structures: Provides deep-dive analyses into political strategies, municipal elections (e.g., BMC polls), the history of alliances (e.g., Shiv Sena's shifting partners), and the changing demographics that influence civic power in Mumbai.
Minority Issues and Socio-Political Trends: Excels in coverage of the Muslim community's representation in power, demographic shifts, socio-economic challenges, and the historical context of sensitive political and cultural issues (e.g., the 'Vande Mataram' debate's roots in the BMC).
Investigative Depth: His articles frequently delve into the historical roots and contemporary consequences of major events, ranging from the rise of extremist groups in specific villages (e.g., Borivali-Padgha) to the long-term collapse of established political parties (e.g., Congress in Mumbai).
Trustworthiness & Credibility
Data-Driven Analysis: Zeeshan's work often incorporates empirical data, such as National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics on arrests and convictions of minorities, or data on asset growth of politicians, grounding his reports in factual evidence.
Focus on Hinterland Issues: While based in Mumbai, he maintains a wide lens, covering issues affecting the state's hinterlands, including water crises, infrastructure delays, and the plight of marginalized communities (e.g., manual scavengers).
Institutional Affiliation: His senior position at The Indian Express—a publication known for its tradition of rigorous political and investigative journalism—underscores the high level of editorial vetting and Trustworthiness of his reports.
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