Palanikumar

The Roots: Photography Workshop A photography workshop by The People’s Photographers Collective led by Palani Kumar The People’s Photographers Collective is a Tamil Nadu–based photographers’ collective dedicated to empowering marginalized communities through visual storytelling. Founded by photojournalist Palani Kumar, the collective believes that storytelling is an act of resistance, dignity, and self-representation. The Roots is a three-day intensive photography workshop that introduces participants to photography as a tool to document their own lives, communities, and cultures. Beyond technical skills, the workshop focuses on observation, street photography, storytelling, and social engagement. The workshop will culminate in a student-led photography exhibition on Day 3. This workshop is designed to democratize photography by making cameras, mentorship, and platforms accessible to those who have historically been excluded. 📅 Dates: 16th January - 18th January 2026 📍 Venue: ABC Art Room, Bastion Bungalow, Fort Kochi, Kerala Free entry — no registration fee required. Who can apply: This workshop is open to students and to the general public. But participants are expected to attend all 3 days of the workshop. This is an intensive, participatory workshop involving outdoor photography. 🔗 Apply via link in bio #ABCArtRoom #ArtRoom #KochiMuzirisBiennale #KochiBiennaleFoundation

How might photography reshape our understanding of everyday lives and inequalities? Join us for our upcoming Impart Dialogue with photographer M Palani Kumar (@chempkumar ) and writer Sumaiya Mustafa (@readingtv ) as they reflect on how image-making can enable greater visibility for marginalised voices. Rooted in long-term engagement with working-class communities in Tamil Nadu, Kumar’s practice moves beyond observation into sustained participation, where photography becomes both record and responsibility. In this conversation, he considers the ethical and political stakes of representation today: what it means to look closely, remain accountable to what is seen, and to make images that do not simply document, but return us to the world differently. This online discussion will be held on 30 April 2026 at 7:30 PM (IST) via Zoom. Register now through the link in our bio. This event is a part of Impart Dialogues (formerly MAP Academy Live) — a series of expert-led talks, conversations, panels and exhibition walkthroughs organised exclusively for our online community. About the Speakers M Palani Kumar is a photojournalist with the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) and the founder of the People’s Photographers Collective, a forum of socially responsible photographers from working-class backgrounds. Kumar has worked as a cinematographer on Kakoos (Toilet), a documentary on the lives of manual scavengers in Tamil Nadu, and exhibited Naanum Oru Kuzhundhai (I Am a Child Too), a series of photographs documenting the children of sanitation workers. His accolades include the Ananda Vikatan Top Ten Humans Award (2019), the Dayanita Singh-PARI Documentary Photography Award (2022), and the ACJ Photojournalism Award (2025). Sumaiya Mustafa is a writer and researcher from Tamil Nadu whose work spans culinary ethnography, coastal cultures, film, and taste. Her writing has appeared in the Caravan, The Hindu, The Polis Project, and ASAP Connect, among other publications. A recipient of the Food Matters Grant, her work on visual representations of culture has been exhibited at the Serendipity Arts Festival (2025)

How might photography reshape our understanding of everyday lives and inequalities? Join us for our upcoming Impart Dialogue with photographer M Palani Kumar (@chempkumar ) and writer Sumaiya Mustafa (@readingtv ), as they reflect on how image-making can enable greater visibility for marginalised voices. Rooted in long-term engagement with working-class communities in Tamil Nadu, Kumar’s practice moves beyond observation into sustained participation, where photography becomes both record and responsibility. In this conversation, he considers the ethical and political stakes of representation today: what it means to look closely, remain accountable to what is seen, and to make images that do not simply document, but return us to the world differently. This online discussion will be held on 30 April 2026 at 7:30 PM (IST) via Zoom. Register now through the link in our bio. This event is part of Impart Dialogues (formerly MAP Academy Live) — a series of expert-led talks, conversations, panels and exhibition walkthroughs organised exclusively for our online community. About the Speakers M Palani Kumar is a photojournalist with the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) and the founder of the People’s Photographers Collective, a forum of socially responsible photographers from working-class backgrounds. Kumar has worked as a cinematographer on ‘Kakoos’ (Toilet), a documentary on the lives of manual scavengers in Tamil Nadu, and exhibited ‘Naanum Oru Kuzhundhai’ (I Am a Child Too), a series of photographs documenting the children of sanitation workers. His accolades include the Ananda Vikatan Top Ten Humans Award (2019), the Dayanita Singh-PARI Documentary Photography Award (2022), and the ACJ Photojournalism Award (2025). Sumaiya Mustafa is a writer and researcher from Tamil Nadu whose work spans culinary ethnography, coastal cultures, film, and taste. Her writing has appeared in the Caravan, The Hindu, The Polis Project, and ASAP Connect, among other publications. A recipient of the Food Matters Grant, her work on visual representations of culture has been exhibited at the Serendipity Arts Festival (2025).

Our collective successfully conducted another photography workshop in Madhya Pradesh with tribal and rural students. Despite challenges of language, food, and climate, our commitment remains strong. As always, we focus on working-class, marginalized, and indigenous communities—*enabling them to document their own lives through their own perspectives*. In collaboration with @cicadafoundation @its_kir.anjana @nayakkalyani we hosted a 6-day workshop for 12 students from the Gond tribal and rural community students . *For many, it was their first time using a DSLR camera, with hands-on practice throughout*. The workshop concluded with a photo exhibition, where participants showcased their work to their community—making it a meaningful and impactful experience. *#PeoplesPhotographersCollective #CommunityPhotography #SocialImpact #GrassrootsVoices*

Dalit students routinely face brutal atrocities for their academic success, sporting victories and even love. Vengeful caste dominance still pervades educational institutions in Tamil Nadu Caste in the Classroom by M. Palani Kumar (@chempkumar ) is less of a collage than a montage of caste-based atrocities that permeate across educational institutions in Tamil Nadu. Palani’s camera and pen do something that Indian media space rarely does. It unabashedly addresses the routine caste discrimination that has plagued this country. Read ‘Caste in the Classroom’ on PARI. Link in Bio. Share this piece as far and wide as possible. . . . . . . . . #paristories #caste #dalithistorymonth #dalit [Dalit, Tamiil Nadu, India, Caste discrimination, Media]

A powerful story of Arun Kumar (@arunkumararunkumar64535 ) , a young Soliga Adivasi who suffers a crippling fall from a very tall tree in the BR Hills of Karnataka while harvesting honey. “I tried getting up after the fall. But I had hit the ground on my back and the pain was unbearable. My bones were broken. I just couldn’t move. My friends spent hours with me as it was already night, lighting a fire to protect us from wild animals.” Read the full story by Pratishtha Pandya (@pratishthamp ) on PARI Photographs by Pratishtha Pandya and Palani Kumar (@chempkumar ) . . . . . . #paristories #karnataka #honey #accident

What happens when young people from marginalised communities begin to photograph the worlds they live in? As part of our ongoing partnership with @hasiru_dala , NGO that works with waste pickers communities in Bangalore, we are conducting a photography workshop with the youth from the community—inter-generational migrants from different parts of Tamil Nadu settled across the metropolis. Mentored by @chempkumar Palani Kumar and the People’s Photographers Collective team, the workshop encourages youths to observe their surroundings closely and document their everyday lives through photography. From streets and homes to friendships, work, and quiet moments in between, the camera becomes a tool to notice, reflect, and express. More importantly, it creates space for them to tell their own stories—through their own eyes, and from their own perspectives.

Shripad Sinnakaar (@shripadsinnakaar ) explores how the ordinary in M. Palani Kumar’s (@chempkumar ) series “To Walk a Mile” is neither a typical political ground of agitation nor an indefatigable recounting of an atrocity condensed into a moment of crisis. Tap the link in bio to read the tidbit.

The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026). At PARI, we have covered the stories of the life and labour of women farmers, the role they play in running farms and their homes, leading and participating in agriculture-related entrepreneurship, as well as farm protests. You can find this collection of stories on PARI. Link in Bio . . . . . . #paristories #womensday #womenfarmers #women [Women, Women Farmers, International Year of the Women Farmer, Women’s day, India, Indian Farmers]

We recently concluded a transformative 10 days field workshop in the tribal village of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Partnering with the Music festival @aadi.johar music festival for tribal peoples organised by Harshith. We explored the vital intersection of caste, labour, and indigenous identity. Mentored by Palani Kumar Staff Photographer, PARI and Founder of people’s photographers collective, students moved beyond the classroom to document the lived realities of their communities. From the technical nuances of traditional fishing styles to the cultural resonance of the Rela music celebration, the students demonstrated an incredible level of engagement and ownership over their stories.

An inspiring seminar by the PG Department of Journalism & Communication, Dwarka Doss Goverdhan Doss Vaishnav College, in collaboration with People’s Photographers Collective. Insightful sessions by Ms. M. Subagomathi and Mr. M. Palanikumar on photography as a powerful voice for humanity and social change. 📸 A truly enriching experience for our students! #FramingHumanity #Photojournalism #HumanValues #DDGDVC #MediaEducation

We were honoured to host M. Palani Kumar (@chempkumar ) at the Eklavya Residential Campus, where he conducted an inspiring session on photography and shared his journey as a photojournalist. Through powerful stories from the field, he spoke about using the camera as a tool to document realities of caste, labour, gender, and displacement, reminding our students that photography can be both art and accountability. His reflections on working with communities and telling stories from within deeply resonated with all of us. — About the Speaker: M. Palani Kumar is a photojournalist with People's Archive of Rural India (PARI) and founder of the People’s Photographers Collective, a forum of socially responsible photographers from working-class backgrounds. Hailing from Jawaharlalpuram, Madurai, his work documents caste, labour, gender, and displacement from within these communities. Since 2019, as a PARI fellow, he has been documenting the lives of working-class women across India. He has worked on the documentary Kakoos and exhibited Naanum Oru Kuzhandhai. His recognitions include Top Ten Humans (2019), the PARI–Dayanita Singh Award (2022), and the ACJ Photojournalism Award (2025).