Supreme Court Questions Mumbai Traders’ Opposition to Marathi Signboards
Mumbai, 3rd September 2023: For decades, traders in Mumbai, Maharashtra, have been embroiled in a contentious battle against the compulsory use of Marathi on their shop signboards. The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association had petitioned the Supreme Court, challenging the Maharashtra government’s decision to mandate Marathi signboards.
During the petition’s hearing, the judges reprimanded these traders. A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujwal Bhuyan questioned why these traders were expending resources on legal battles when they could simply put up Marathi signboards. The Supreme Court attentively heard the concerns of the business community in Maharashtra who opposed the imposition of the Marathi language.
The Supreme Court remarked, “How would displaying a Marathi signboard prejudice you? Instead of investing substantial sums in legal proceedings, you should purchase and display a signboard,” stated a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujwal Bhuyan.
The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association, which has resisted years of pressure from political groups to compel shopkeepers to prominently feature Marathi signage, argued that they were tackling a substantial issue.
Advocate Mohini Priya represented the traders in court. She contended that her petition could raise constitutional questions about whether the state can mandate language use in trade and business.
Mohini Priya stated, “We are not opposed to preserving the Marathi language. It should be prominently displayed on signboards as a rule, alongside any other language. Such a rule might be obligatory for official purposes, but not for shops. Mumbai is cosmopolitan, and people from across the states come here.”
The bench emphasized that Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, and Marathi is the official language. “There’s no need to fight over it. You are conducting business in the state. Displaying signboards in Marathi will attract more customers. It’s all about your ego.”
Advocate Mohini Priya, representing the traders, was instructed by the Supreme Court to present such arguments in the High Court.
