For a meaningless, fatal ‘gethu’: Why Chennai college students indulge in 'route thala' clashes

CHENNAI: Not all traditions deserve preservation. The city college students’ route rivalry, popularly known as ‘route thala’ is one such baton that does not deserve to be passed on. There is no precedent anywhere in the world where a group of college students clash violently over which bus/train route is superior.

It might sound harmless and can be categorised as a part of college life if not for the violence students inflict on each other, and on the public – all in the name of celebrations and fun, say police personnel.

“It is not justifiable to beat up a fellow student and that too to the extent that he requires hospitalisation,” said DSP K Ramesh, Government Railway Police, on Tuesday. A Sundar (21), a student who was beaten up by students of Pachaiyappa’s College last Friday, died at a hospital here.

Male egos at play

“Podhuvaga Presidency Thangam, Oru Pottiyinu Vandhuvitta Singam. Munnala Seerudhu Pachaiyappas, Pinnala Pogudhu Nandanam Arts. Adakki Aaludhu Presidency dhaan…” – the tweaked lyrics of the famous Rajinikanth song from his 1980 film, Murattukalai, are popular among the students of Presidency College travelling the Tiruttani-Chennai Central train route.

This ‘creative touch’ to a popular song sends students of Presidency College into a tizzy while irking the students of other colleges. The rival colleges come up with counter songs and the cycle goes on until one day few end up in a hospital ward and others in jail.

And until a decade ago, while the police would let off students with a warning considering their future, they are now booking them frequently. “Under the new laws, it’s not necessary to have eyewitnesses. CCTV footage is enough to get a conviction,” the DSP told mediapersons on Tuesday.

The officer made a fervent appeal to the students to show their bravado in studies and sports and not expend their energy on clashes over their ego on route supremacy. A video of his speech went viral on social media, but it might miss the target audience, as students are busy fighting on social media too. There have been instances when comments on social media spilled over on the road too.

“We had a Facebook group called ‘Train route tigers’ for students travelling on the Arakkonam-Chennai route,” a former student and a ‘route thala’ said. Similar clashes happen among students travelling on MTC (Metropolitan Transport Corporation) buses too. While ‘Bus Day celebrations’ have been officially banned in the city, instances of student groups hijacking a bus and riding on the rooftops are a regular sight.

“Students pack up stones from railway tracks and hurl them at each other when the trains pass. Apart from their so-called rivals, their actions have put unassuming passengers at risk,” said a railway police officer.

Common routes for clashes

Regular travellers of MTC buses in the notorious routes (6D/ 29 A/ 25G/ / 57F/ 15B) have myriad tales about the hardships they undergo because of ‘route thala’.

Students, who were part of these routes acknowledge that their acts cause public nuisance. “Some of us are unwilling participants too. If you travel by these routes, you have no other option than to be part of the charade as the feel to continue the tradition is strong,” said Sasi, a former student of Presidency College, who travelled in the 6D route.

The first thing students ask their rival is the ID card when they meet outside. When they find a student from a rival college travelling in their route, clashes happen. “There were route thalas who had the patronage of political functionaries. They expected route thalas to bring a large group of youth whenever they called. This proximity to power too encouraged them to keep the tradition alive,” Sasi said.

Perambur Depot, Tiruvottiyur toll gate, Central railway station, and Poonamallee High Road are some of the places that frequently witness the clashes. Sundar received his fatal blow last Friday near Central railway station.

Helpless police

The police too have run out of options as they have tried every method, from being lenient to hard-core, but the violence has continued.

“We used to leave our phone numbers with the MTC depot timekeepers and pass it on to the drivers and conductors who alert us whenever students create a ruckus. When they see a patrol team, students disperse,” said a senior police officer.

Both cops and student representatives told DT Next that the lack of extra-curricular activities is one of the reasons why students engage in violence. An assistant commissioner in the city said that a separate wing should be formed to collect intelligence and monitor these erratic students.

“While the violent ones who hurt society should be treated as per law, those who can still be saved should be brought under a mentorship programme to show them that the world is much more than their meaningless tradition,” the ACP said.

‘Route thala’ for dummies

So, what is a bus route rivalry? What qualifications does one have to be a ‘route thala’? Don’t they care about the nuisance they cause to the public?

“It all boils down to the question, ‘Who is the big shot?’ The student who takes the forefront in these clashes gets the mantle of ‘route thala’,” said the former student. It starts as a showcase of power towards other students but it would soon seep within their own college premises. There have been instances of students from same college travelling on different bus/train routes clashing outside college. A senior police officer said that invariably 90 per cent of students in these rivalries are from low-income families.

Violent incidences

Aug 24: Two college students, including a 17-year-old, were arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) after passengers alerted authorities about the youth carrying weapons in the suburban train from Sulurpet towards Chennai Central.

Aug 3: Three students of Pachaiyappa’s College after student groups clashed with each other near Saidapet railway station. One group hurled stones at the other group in one of the coaches.

Feb 28: Three students arrested by North Beach police a month after inflicting serious injuries on a student of a rival college by attacking him with knives over ‘route rivalry’ issue.

Sep 20, 2023: Anna Square Police arrested five college students who were found carrying weapons near Marina beach.

Solutions

From toeing the ‘mentorship’ line of transforming students to setting an example by terminating them if found with weapons, stakeholders have varying views.

· Elections: Student representatives say that student elections in colleges, which have not been conducted in many years, should be resumed so that real leadership qualities are imbibed in students than the irrational ‘Gethu’ (false pride) which route rivalry encourages.

· Community service as punishment: In August 2023, students of Government Nandanam Arts College were asked to attend the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Saidapet and undertake classes on discipline for one month by a city court.

· Mentorship: Several police officers told DT Next that forming a special intelligence team to monitor such errant students and then mentoring them by showing the right path – sports/extra-curricular activities – will help them choose the right route.

· Termination: Educationalists feel that some students should be made an example of and terminated from the respective colleges.