Big Marathi signboards not necessary

Next time you decide to enter a grocery shop, saree store or any commercial outlet, you may not find the signboard in large Marathi font size.

Next time you decide to enter a grocery shop, saree store or any commercial outlet, you may not find the signboard in large Marathi font size.

The High Court today disposed of one of the contentions of the Marathi signboard case, which now doesn't compel the commercial outlets from having a bigger and bolder Marathi script on the board than letters written in other languages. The main contention is still pending.

2000: Clauses of the Shops and Establishments Act 1961 were amended to decree that the Marathi script on the board should precede other languages. 2001: The FRTWA retailers' association challenges the amendment in Bombay High Court and argues that the move is not only illegal, but also an infringement of the freedom of speech and expression.

There have been cases where shopkeepers misspell the Marathi word when they translate the English word on the board. It sounds funnier when people struggle while reading the same word.

Viren Shah, President ofu00a0Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), said, "The HC passed the order that signboards in Marathi need not be bigger than in English. But it is compulsory for them to put names in Marathi even if it has a lesser script."

FRTWA filed a case against the state government on the amendment made in the Shops and Establishments Act 1961 by amending this clause. The HC maintained the main writ petition pending with them since 2001.

The HC has been asking the state government to file chargesheet against six people who created a ruckus.

However, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) that pro-actively targeted shopkeepers for not putting signboards in Marathi were dejected with the decision. Shishir Shinde, spokesperson, MNS said, "It's sad that such a decision has been given by the HC. They should have taken the voice of the locals into consideration before passing such a judgement. We will surely approach the Supreme Court."