Self Respect Movement சுயமரியாதை இயக்கம் by Osheen Siva

This series of ten clay tablets maps the overlapping histories of protest and reform within the Self-Respect Movement in Tamil Nadu. Each tablet references a pivotal figure, medium, or event that together form a counter-archive that honors the voices of the historically marginalized in the struggle for social equality.

Top row (left to right):
- E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar): The founder of the Self-Respect Movement (1925), celebrated for launching a radical project of self-worth, rationalism, and anti-caste reform.
- Ravana Leela: A symbolic inversion of the Ram Leela, staged by Periyarists in 1974 under Maniyammai’s leadership. Effigies of Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita were publicly burned in protest to reclaim the narrative from Hindu nationalist rituals.
- Kudi Arasu: The Tamil weekly founded by Periyar in 1925, meaning "Republic." This newspaper served as the Self-Respect Movement’s principal mouthpiece, disseminating its radical ideas and mobilizing resistance in Tamil Nadu.

Middle row:
- Ambedkar: A statue honoring B.R. Ambedkar, whose anti-caste legacy resonates deeply with Periyar’s mission, forging trans-regional solidarity for Dalit emancipation.
- Annai Meenambal: A feminist leader and president of the Scheduled Castes Federation of India. She was instrumental in calling Ramasamy “Periyar” (“The Great One”), a title that became his enduring name.
- E.V.R. NAgammai: Another women’s rights advocate who continually urged Periyar to deepen his sensitivity to Dalit struggles within the Movement and is known for her participation in Temparance movement and the Vaikom Satyagraha.

Bottom row:
- Portrait of Periyar: Emphasizing the sustained influence of his leadership, this tablet may gesture toward his broader reforms such as rationalist critiques of caste symbols and ritual authority.
- Protest gesture: A raised index finger symbolizing defiance and calls for social reform, echoing the movement’s agitation for self-respect marriages, anti-Hindi protests, and dismantling caste privileges, most commontly depicted with statues of Ambedkar as well.
- Mass protest: A depiction of collective engagement between 1937–1940, where women activists visibly led processions and pickets against the imposition of Hindi, affirming Tamil identity and rejecting linguistic hegemony.

This artwork was exhibited at Method in the group exhibition "The Parliament is Now in Session" (August 2025)