Young residents of Vyasarpadi in Chennai present a lens view of life in their neighbourhood
The Hindu
Young residents of a slum in north Chennai, Vyasarpadi, fight prejudices and perceptions through a photo exhibition organised by PARI, Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG) and Palani Studio
“I do not know if the photographs surrounding Priya’s death will serve as a wakeup call to doctors, but I know these stories must be heard by many others,” says 21-year-old A. Rasiya Banu from Vyasarpadi.
One year since the death of R. Priya, a teenage football player from Vyasarpadi who died of multi-organ failure, Rasiya tracks the youngster’s last journey to the cremation ground, presents glimpses of the crowd that turned up for the funeral and her death anniversary — through photographs.
“I do not know Priya personally but the cries of her family still ring in my ears,” says the BA (Economics) graduate and a part-time teacher . She is among the eight who will be showcasing Vyasarpadi in a photo exhibition titled ‘Our Streets Our Stories: Life in North Chennai’. S. Nandhini, E. Imman, D. Vigneshwari, S. Vinodhini, S. Naveen, P. Thirisha and N. Sakthivel are the others.
The three-day event scheduled to be held from December 8 is being organised by Vyasai Thozhargal, Palani Studio, Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG) and PARI to showcase the powerful narratives and photography skills of these young residents in the age group of 15 to 28 years.
Vigneshwari’s mother works with a small unit that manufacturers a component for switch boxes. She spotlights the everyday toils of her mother and other women.
A few others chose sports as a theme, focussing on football, carom and kabaddi as children from the neighbourhood have excelled in them. The lives of waste collectors, who make a living by visiting Kuppai Medu near Kodinguyur, have also been captured through the lens.
The photo exhibition has two main objectives: one, change the general perception about this neighbourhood in the wider world; and two, raise funds to meet the educational needs of first-generation college-goers in Vyasarpadi.
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