CHENNAI: In a room adorned with frames of powerful images, and with the towering presence of Dr B R Ambedkar’s portraits, photojournalist M Palani Kumar channels his passion for the craft, and the drive for social justice. What sets Palani apart from the rest is his unwavering dedication to the cause of the marginalised, people that he not only uplifts but also empowers. Focusing on the marginalised sections of society, as well as fisherfolk, working women and minorities, the 34-year-old has also worked to educate and equip them with the tools to tell their stories.
By making photography accessible to the younger generation, Palani has played a crucial role in shedding light on the decades-long struggle against oppression. Since 2019, Palani has taught the art of photography to over 60 students, many of whom are now pursuing careers in journalism, or work as photographer- trainers in government model schools across 18 districts in Tamil Nadu. His workshops have reached places such as Madurai, Nagapattinam, and North Chennai, as well as places like Odisha. Palani provides DSLR cameras to his students and teaches them photography for free. “Photography has always been out of reach for marginalised communities, especially since cameras are expensive. I wanted to bridge that gap and make photography more accessible,” he says.
Through Palani’s classes, students not only learn the art of photography but also gain a deeper understanding of the social realities. While documenting the ups and downs of their kith and kin, their general perspectives and political views are reshaped. At the end of each workshop, Palani organises exhibitions to showcase the students’ photo stories. “Exhibiting the photographs is an important process because it is the event which motivates us to keep going and stay consistent,” he notes.
From Madurai to Madras’ hamlets and beyond
Palani’s journey began in Jawaharlalpuram, Madurai, growing up in an 8x8-foot home where electricity was a distant dream. His parents, especially his mother, supported the family by selling fish. “I spent most of my childhood outdoors under the streetlights — studying, playing, and dreaming. My earliest inspiration was Spider-Man’s Peter Parker, a photojournalist with a passion to help people. The fascination with storytelling deepened after watching Naalaiya Iyakunar, and reading books such as Vattiyum Mudhalum, Marakkave Ninaikkiren by Mari Selvaraj and books on cinema by Chezhiyan. I used to help my mother and save up to buy these books,” he recalls.
By the time he was in Class 9, Palani’s interest in script writing and short films peaked, and he began experimenting with cinematography. Eventually, he bought a second-hand tape camera, the first of the many cameras he would go on to own. Alongside his love for cinema, Palani had a deep passion for football and had won several medals. He initially pursued a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, before securing admission in an engineering college in Hosur through the sports quota. It was his mother’s dream that he take up engineering. “She has done so much for us throughout her life. So I thought why not do this for her?”
During college, he took an educational loan and secured a scholarship to buy his first professional camera. Eventually, his debut short film, BE, gained him recognition in college.
A turning point
In 2015, activist-filmmaker Divya Bharathi invited Palani to assist in making Kakkoos, a documentary on manual scavenging and sewer deaths. What started as an assistant role soon turned into a deeply personal mission. “I saw families devastated after losing loved ones to such work. I never zoomed in on their suffering — I stayed close, witnessing their struggles firsthand,” he says.
Through this experience, Palani understood the generational cycle of manual scavenging and the systemic discrimination against the marginalised. He started reading the works of Dr Ambedkar and Periyar, which deepened his awareness of caste-based oppression. He recalls a traumatic school experience where he was falsely accused of theft, an incident that he now recognises was a product of caste-based discrimination. After Kakkoos, Palani focused on photographing the children of sanitation workers and documenting caste violence and honour killings. His first solo photography exhibition, Naanum Oru Kuzhandhai (2017), displayed 140 frames at the Lalit Kala Akademi, throwing light on the lives of marginalised children.
Furthering the art
Palani credits artist and educator R Ezhilarasan for inspiring him to conduct photography workshops. Ezhilarasan, who teaches arts and crafts in tribal and rural schools and villages, became a mentor. “Ezhil anna was like clay — flexible, adaptable, and joyful. I documented his work, capturing children’s laughter and creativity,” Palani shares. Inspired, Palani began teaching photography while travelling with Ezhilarasan. Through a fellowship with the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), he also started documenting stories from his own life, including his mother’s resilience and the struggles of sanitation workers. His documentary on seaweed harvesters earned wide appreciation.
In 2019, he held his first free photography workshop for 12-15 young people— children of sanitation workers in Madurai. Over 10 days, they not only learned photography but also explored the harsh realities of their parents’ work. Palani later conducted workshops in Odisha, Nagapattinam, and north Chennai. He is currently leading workshops in Ramanathapuram and Pulianthope.
More than just imagery
One of Palani’s students, Noornisha from north Chennai, shares how photography reshaped her perspective. “I lost my father in my childhood, and my mother raised me and my sister alone. During the pandemic, I got into photography. We knew about the injustices in north Chennai before, but we never understood the politics behind it. Now, before I take a photo, I read related books, listen to people’s stories, and document them. The key to photography is the conversations we have with people,” she says. Now studying digital journalism at Loyola College, she works with Palani to document honour killings and manual scavenging.
Palani firmly believes in witnessing as a form of resistance. “Witnessing is an important process — it documents history for future generations.”
Changing perspectives
P Indra, a 23-year-old student from Palani, resides in an area behind the Arappalayam bus stand in Madurai. Her community, comprising 500 families, has been engaged in sanitary work for generations. Indra’s perspective on life changed when she discovered photography through Palani. She recalled how her teachers used to say, “You should never do the work that your parents do; instead, aim for a position of authority in the government.”
Despite some opposition from her father, Indra wished to join Palani’s workshop. With her friends’ persuasion, she convinced him. On the second day of the workshop, she picked up the camera, photographing flowers and everyday life. Guided by Palani to observe and photograph her own community, she turned the lens to her father, who started working as a sanitary worker when he was 13. Indra followed him to work, witnessing firsthand the inhumane conditions — handling of waste with bare hands, climbing into overflowing bins without proper leg boots, and cleaning public toilets without protective gear. She realised that her father’s story was not a unique one, but the regular life of many others from her community.
Long-lasting impact
Palani’s legacy goes beyond borders. K Ravikumar (24), a Pettakurumba tribal youth from Bokkapuram in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, was working at an NGO for vulnerable tribal groups when he met Martin, a Kerala-based photographer. Ravi was introduced to photography, and began capturing wildlife and nature using an old camera donated to the NGO. His talent was recognised by documentary photographer Vivek Mariappan, who introduced him to Palani’s work. Watching Palani’s powerful visual storytelling on caste violence, The Chappal Story, and honour killings deeply moved Ravi.
Ravi reached out to Palani via social media, sending him around 40 of his wildlife photographs. Palani responded and invited him to Chennai, offering to mentor him in photography. Initially hesitant to travel alone, Ravi eventually visited Palani’s studio. Palani asked him to document the lives of working-class tribal women, starting with his own mother. Ravi’s documentary about his mother was later published in PARI and the photos were also exhibited in Chennai. It highlighted the relentless labour of tribal women. He also documented the dry season in Ooty, where cattle and goats died due to water scarcity, while tourists floated on boats in well-maintained water bodies. Through photography, Ravi began observing the political and social realities around.
Palani introduced Ravi to books on Periyar, Ambedkar, and more, which transformed his outlook. “I read an article claiming tribal communities were always dependent on others. It struck me hard, pushing me to document independent working-class tribal lives till date,” says Ravi. Today, he teaches photography at a government model school in Ooty. Palani says Ravi is likely the first tribal photographer from Tamil Nadu, paving the way for many more.
Beyond the obvious
Pulianthope, often labelled a hub of crime and violence, holds a different reality for the young students trained by Palani. Trisha R (19), a school dropout, shared the same misconceptions she had about her area. However, after joining Palani’s photography classes through the Don Bosco Social Service Society, she began documenting the struggles of working-class families. Through her lens, she questioned systemic neglect — why were slaughterhouses and dump yards located in Pulianthope instead of ‘posh’ areas such as Anna Nagar? Thanikaivel K (18), a visual communication student from Pulianthope, said, “Before these photography classes, I never spoke to people even next to my streets. Now, I want to stay here and bring out the stories of my working-class people.”
A future beyond boundaries
Looking ahead, Palani plans to take these young photographers to global platforms like London — not just for exhibitions but to equip them with skills to apply for scholarships and pursue higher studies abroad. His efforts have earned him numerous awards, including Ananda Vikatan’s Top Ten Humans 2019 for his work in documenting manual scavenging and ensuring that sanitary workers’ children break free from generational labour.