Sukumaar, 33, an assistant professor at a private college in Chennai got married to Elakkiya in June 2024. Theirs was a self-respect marriage—a union inspired by Periyar’s (E.V. Ramasamy’s) self-respect marriage movement. The couple entered the mandapam accompanied by the notes of the parai , which is considered as a musical instrument of the ‘lower castes’. The intricately woven decorations made of dried stems of the banana tree were a perfect backdrop for the stage at the ceremony at Selam, Tamil Nadu. It was attended by about 400 people—their families, friends and students. There were no photos of any deities at the venue.

Sukumaar belongs to a backward caste and his partner Elakkiya hails from another backward caste with a class difference that is bridged by their love. A communicat

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