Who among the following was the founder of the 'Self-Respect Movement'?

The Self-Respect Movement was started by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, a Balija Naidu, in the[1] mid-1920s. Known as Periyar (the respected), he started the self-respect movement in 1925[2] and the movement aimed at nothing short of a rejection of the brahminical religion and culture which Naicker felt was the prime instrument of exploitation of the lower castes.[1] He was famous for his anticaste struggle and rediscovery of Dravidian identity, and was initially a worker of the Congress party.[2] He sought to undermine the position of brahmin priests by formalising weddings without brahmin priests.[1] The movement was a significant socio-cultural reform initiative in Tamil Nadu that focused on social change and challenged the existing caste hierarchy. Therefore, option A is the correct answer as Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker was indeed the founder of the Self-Respect Movement.

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Self-Respect Movement > p. 226
2. [2] Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Regional Aspirations > Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh > p. 116