Exp) Option a is the correct answer.

The Self-Respect Movement was founded in 1925 by E.V. Ramasamy, popularly known as ‘Periyar’, in the Madras Presidency. The objective of the movement was to establish a society where lower castes, especially the non-Brahmins, could live with dignity and without social discrimination. Periyar was deeply influenced by the principles of rationalism, anti-caste ideology, and social justice. He launched the movement as a direct attack on Brahmanical dominance, the caste system, and orthodox Hindu rituals. The movement encouraged people to abandon blind faith, promote women’s rights, support inter-caste marriages, and reject the authority of the Vedas. It laid the ideological foundation for the later Dravidian movement, which significantly reshaped Tamil Nadu’s political and social landscape.

Source:

https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/hess207.pdf

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/periyar-9572605/