In a press release issued on Wednesday (April 6), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that all shops and establishments in Mumbai, irrespective of size, should use signboards in Marathi, written in the Devanagari script, prominently.
The order stated that if the signboard displays the name of any shop or business in more than one script, the one in Devanagari should be in the bigger type.
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Also, the BMC said, liquor shops or bars must not bear the names of legendary personalities and historical forts.
When will the new rule become applicable?
The BMC note issued on Wednesday said the amended rule would be applicable immediately. However, BMC officials said shops, restaurants, bars and other establishments would get “some time” to change the display boards as per the new rule.
A civic official said, “The traders were aware of the amendment after it was cleared by the legislature. However, we will still give them some time to make the necessary changes.”
BMC did not specify a time frame for implementing the change.
How did this new rule on signboards of shops and establishments come about?
The Maharashtra Assembly last month cleared a bill making Marathi signboards in the Devanagari script compulsory for shops and establishments.
The amendment mandated that the font of the Marathi-Devanagari script could not be smaller than the font of the other scripts. In case of violations, action can be initiated as per the provision of the Shops Act, 2017.
The amendment applied to all kinds of establishments such as grocery shops, offices, hotels, restaurants, bars, and theatres.
What was the need for this change in rule?
The push for Marathi by the Shiv-Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is being seen as an attempt to consolidate the Marathi vote bank ahead of the BMC polls. For 25 years, Sena has controlled BMC, which is now run by a state-appointed administrator as the term of the elected body had ended in March.
Marathi signboards have been a political issue for parties, especially the Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Activists of the MNS had earlier targeted two shops in the city that had put up signboards in Gujarati, and had forcibly taken down one of the signboards.
Back in 2008, the BMC, following an agitation by the MNS, had issued orders that all shops and establishments should put up Marathi signboards. However, the corporation had to withdraw its order following an order of the Bombay High Court.
In the 2017 civic elections, which the BJP and Sena contested separately, the Sena had revived the Marathi manoos agenda. That year, the Sena won 84 seats, and retained control over the civic body.
In the last two years, the Sena, which is an alliance partner in the MahaVikas Aaghadi (MVA) government, has been taking forward its agenda in the Marathi language.
In July 2021, the Maharashtra legislature passed a Bill amending The Maharashtra Official Language Act, 1964 for the effective use of the Marathi language in administrative work in all government offices.
In February 2020, another Bill made the Marathi language a compulsory subject from Classes 1 to 10 in all board schools.
How have traders reacted to the new rule?
In a statement issued last month after the legislature cleared the bill, the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), a state-level umbrella group of shops, said shopkeepers had suffered a lot in the Covid-19 pandemic, and changing signboards would impose an additional financial burden on them.
“If we will be forced to change the name board into Marathi, crores of rupees will be spent. Every shopkeeper will have to spend Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 depending on the size of the board. Such a decision will not go well among the trading communities,” read the statement.
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