Inter-college rivalry in Chennai leads to death of 19-year-old student

A 19-year-old student from Chennai's Presidency College died after an attack by rival students. This incident highlights ongoing issues of violence linked to college disputes in the city.

In Short

• Chennai Presidency College student was attacked by Pachaiyappa’s College students
• Incident occurred at a suburban railway station over a territorial ‘route Thala’ dispute
• Five students from Pachaiyappa’s College have been arrested on murder charges

A 19-year-old student from Chennai’s Presidency College succumbed to injuries on Wednesday, after being attacked by a group of students from another college last week.

The incident has escalated tensions between the colleges and reignited concerns about student rivalries in the city.

The student, A Sundar, was attacked by students of Pachaiyappa’s College at a suburban railway station on October 4. Sundar, who hailed from Ponpadi village near Thiruthani in Thiruvallur district, was pursuing his first year in BA Political Science at Presidency College, Chennai.
The attack occurred on October 4, Friday, when Sundar was waiting to board a local train. A group of students from Pachaiyappa’s College allegedly surrounded him and beat him up over an ongoing rivalry related to territorial routes or ‘route Thala’ as it is called in the area.

‘Route Thala’ is a local gang-like culture where students claim dominance over specific routes taken by buses or trains. As Sundar attempted to flee, he fell and reportedly hit his head on a pillar, leading to severe injuries.

After being found bleeding at the scene, Sundar was taken to the Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital by the police. Sundar succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, October 9.

Chennai police have arrested five students from Pachaiyappa’s College in connection with Sundar’s death. Those arrested include N Chandru, Yuvaraj, Eswar, Hariprasad, and Kamaleshwaran, all charged with murder based on a complaint filed by Sundar’s father.

Sundar’s death has sparked protests at Presidency College, where fellow students have demanded justice and action against the growing trend of violent inter-college rivalries. The ‘route Thala’ culture, which promotes territorial disputes among students over bus and train routes, has been blamed for fueling such violence in the past. Several instances of clashes and gang fights between colleges in Chennai have been linked to this practice.

Sundar’s death has reignited concerns about safety on campuses and public transport routes frequently used by students. Authorities are now under pressure to address the root causes of these rivalries and implement measures to curb such violence in the future.