Towards breaking the circle of bus route violence

Route ‘ Thalaivars’ – these are not members of any political outfit, but college student gangs whose writ runs over various bus routes in the city. They are the root cause of the student clashes that the city has witnessed over the past few years.

Apart from these gangs, anti-social elements, who gain entry into the colleges, posing as students, instigate the youngsters to indulge in violence, say police officers. “We have identified some routes where such problems occur,” said a senior police officer.

From June 2014, over 60 cases have been registered against students from eight colleges. Over 120 students have been arrested and 61 of them have been suspended.

According to a police study, bus stops including Perambur, Toll Gate, Poonamalee, Koyambedu, Mint, Broadway, Perambur and ICF are vulnerable to student clashes in the morning hours. “In the evening, it is Nandanam, Anna Square, Anna Salai, Saidapet and Mint. We have deployed plainclothes policemen to check if students are carrying weapons,” added the officer.

Based on the study by the city police and subsequent recommendations to the government, the State higher education department recently came out with comprehensive guidelines to reduce such clashes in and outside colleges.

Some of the salient features of the guidelines are – basic security arrangements such as wearing identity cards, undertakings from students and parents against ragging and footboard travel and CCTV cameras. A campus monitoring flying squad comprising teaching and student representatives should be formed to check hostels, gather intelligence on issues including violence and weapons.

Counselling of students, helplines and an SMS facility for students to lodge complaints are also suggested. It also states that the registrar of the concerned university shall blacklist students involved in criminal activities and issue circulars to all universities to not admit such students.

The college principals shall also ensure that elections should be organised with utmost care in a peaceful manner.