MUMBAI — Following a fresh August 12 notification making Marathi compulsory for auto and cab permits, state officials expressed optimism that the Bombay High Court might somehow uphold the exact same measure it explicitly quashed on March 1, 2017.

"We have absolutely no intention of taking away anyone's livelihood," said a transport department spokesperson, clarifying that the imminent cancellation of permits for lakhs of poor migrant drivers was simply a method to help them "learn and respect the state's language and culture." The official noted the rule technically dates back to 1989, making it a historic tradition of threatening workers' incomes.

To demonstrate the initiative's purely educational focus, the department highlighted a recent 105-day language campaign, which saw 1,65,601 non-Marathi-speaking drivers participate just prior to facing the suspension of their transport badges.

"We are confident the court will see the difference this time," the spokesperson added, meticulously filing the new mandate in a cabinet containing the identical, voided circulars from 2016.