Freshers play along for acceptance

‘Bus Day’ or ‘Rail Day’ celebrations always fill residents with dread. Notorious for violent clashes between students of rival colleges or between students and transport department staff, these are occasions that people over the years have learnt to be wary of.

Though the Madras High Court has outlawed such celebrations, students continue to indulge in merry-making and prove to be a nuisance to the public.

Running riot

During such celebrations, college students often hijack MTC buses, ride the footboards, refuse to pay for tickets and dance atop buses.

Analysing the root cause for such clashes among students, T.S. Anbu, Joint Commissioner of Police, East, said: “In most cases, we found that students who had completed their course and were unemployed infiltrated students and encourage them to indulge in such activities. They continue to come to the college on buses, pretending to be students.”

In many of the colleges, freshers in an effort to gain acceptance, join former students to participate in disruptive activities, Mr. Anbu added.