M. Palanikumar photography

“We have been without jobs and income for over a month,” one of the women workers told me and other reporters. “We came here only to decide our next move, eat lunch and disperse. Instead, police officers are harassing us. We have lost our livelihood. Will arresting us solve anything? If not, restore our jobs.” Read @sujajourno's full report on DMK’s neglect of sanitation workers’ protests exposes its betrayal of social-justice principles: caravanmagazine.in/labour/chennai…

#DravidianModel #StalinBuildsTN @tnschoolsedu

#Chennai, pls don't miss this marvellous photo exhibition at Lalit Kala Academy. Students of @chempkumar from Nagapattinam and Odisha have contributed 400 pics to this exhibition. Such powerful images. On till the 29th!

Fabulous inauguration! The brilliant photographers - all of them women, from fishing communities in Nagapattinam and Odisha - spoke, as did the wonderful chief guests. @chempkumar & his team are making history. More power to you, Palani!

Working class people treasure even worn-out sandals. The sandals of cargo loaders bear dents and concave inner soles, while woodcutters' chappals are riddled with thorns. My own slippers I've often patched up with safety pins to keep them intact.

hroughout my travels across India, I've consistently captured images of footwear, and I have begun seeking these narratives in my photographs. Through the tales of such footwear, my own journey also unfolds.

Read the full story here: ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/to…

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the #ThoothukudiMassacre. 🧵[1/13] From July 2023, read @sujajourno's detailed investigation of the massacre and how the officers responsible for shooting 13 innocents in Thoothukudi got away scot-free. Photographs by @chempkumar. caravanmagazine.in/crime/thoothuk…

Govindamma stands with her mother. She was shattered by her son’s death, in 2022. “I lost my husband early. Now, my son,” she said. Despite losing her male relatives, she continues to catch prawns to support her family. 📸: @chempkumar ✍️: @SSukruti caravanmagazine.in/environment/gr…

Industrial effluents, and the daily discharge of fly ash and hot water by thermal plants, have severely affected fish, prawn, crabs and oysters in Ennore. 📸: @chempkumar ✍️: @SSukruti caravanmagazine.in/environment/gr…

For decades, many women from the Irula community have been picking prawns, crabs and oysters from the Kosasthalaiyar riverbed by hand to make a living. The thermal plant’s river pollution has resulted in health issues, such as discoloured palms and soles. caravanmagazine.in/environment/gr…

சிவகாசியின் பட்டாசு ஆலை விபத்தில் 14 தலித் தொழிலாளர்கள் உயிரிழந்ததில்,அவர்களின் குடும்பத்தினர் திக்கற்று தவிக்கின்றனர். இறந்த அனைவரும், பிழைக்க வேறு வழியின்றி வாழ்வாதாரத்துக்காக இப்பணியை செய்த தினக்கூலி தொழிலாளர்கள் ஆவர். ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/we… #RuralIndiaOnline via @PARINetwork

Industrial effluents, and the daily discharge of fly ash and hot water by thermal plants, have severely affected fish, prawn, crabs and oysters in Ennore. 📸: @chempkumar ✍️: @SSukruti caravanmagazine.in/environment/gr…

@chempkumar's photographs aim to document how the presence of industry has significantly impacted the everyday lives of the people who call Ennore their home. Text by @SSukruti. caravanmagazine.in/environment/gr…

"மீனவர்களைப் பாதுகாக்கும் சிலை செய்பவர்" ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/at… #RuralIndiaOnline via @PARINetwork

“...Passed on to me through my ancestors, I can't leave it. Without these idols, they will struggle” Dilli Anna breathes life into the guardian deity of North Chennai's fishing communities using clay & paddy husk, now scarce in the urbanizing area. Read: ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/at…

'Holding a camera for the first time are children of sanitation workers, fisherwomen and others in classes and workshops by PARI photographer M. Palani Kumar, teacher with a camera.' Do read this amazing story by @chempkumar & his students! ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/my… @PARInetwork

@AparnaKarthi Thank you so much aparna

Dearest Palani, happiest birthday! Wish you every personal and professional success! Keep rocking, @chempkumar 💛💛💛 Thank you for your photography!!!

Exactly one year ago, the wonderful Kumar (Anthony) died in an electrical accident in his workplace. He was barely 30. His young wife & small children & old mother mourn for him everyday. Remembering Kumar 💛 Gone too soon 💔

"Sutta karuvadu is a delicacy." With sun, salt, and skilled hands, women in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, preserve fish. And their own lives. A visit to Therespuram locality brings home the complexity of their universe. by @AparnaKarthi ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/ka…