Warangal's National Institute of Technology (NIT), formerly Regional Engineering College (REC), has a surprising distinction: it served as an unexpected breeding ground for several prominent figures in India's Maoist movement. While NIT Warangal has produced numerous accomplished engineers and leaders, it also fostered an environment where revolutionary ideologies took root, influencing students to abandon conventional career paths for radical political activism.
Established in 1959, REC Warangal was the first of its kind in India, intended to cultivate technical expertise. However, by the 1970s, the college became a hotbed of revolutionary student movements, fueled by peasant uprisings in Telangana and elsewhere. The Naxalbari uprising in West Bengal in 1967 inspired young communists in Andhra Pradesh, including those in Warangal, to embrace agrarian revolution. This ideological fervor led to the formation of student organizations like the Radical Students Union (RSU), which became a significant recruiting ground for Maoist groups.
Several alumni of REC Warangal rose to prominence within the Maoist ranks. Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraju, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh on May 21, 2025, was the General Secretary of the CPI (Maoist) party and Chief of its Military Commission. He was associated with the Radical Students Union while studying at REC Warangal. Cherukuri Rajkumar, known as Azad, another alumnus and spokesman for the Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist), was killed in an alleged encounter in Adilabad district in 2010. Other notable leaders with ties to REC Warangal include Soorapaneni Janardhan, a founding member of the RSU; Nagabelli Ravinder, a State Committee member; and Gajjala Ganga Ram.
These young men were influenced by communist movements and peasant uprisings. Scores of students engaged with the "Go to Villages" campaign, which aided in forming the Radical Youth League in 1978 and the Rythu-Coolie Sangham in 1980. Simultaneously, Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, a teacher from Warangal, along with K.G. Satyamurthy, formed the People's War Group (PWG) in 1980 from splinter groups of the CPI (ML). The PWG's merger with the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI) eventually led to the formation of the CPI (Maoist).
The involvement of REC alumni in the Maoist movement is a complex aspect of the institution's history. While the college was a hotbed of extremist activity, not all graduates joined the movement. A former Director of NITW, Dr. G.R.C. Reddy, noted that there was a significant presence of Naxalite sympathizers among students, mess workers, and even some faculty members.
The influence of the Maoist movement in Warangal extended beyond the college. In October 2025, a senior Maoist leader, Manda Ruben, surrendered to the Warangal police. Ruben, who carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh, had been associated with the Maoist movement for over four decades and was influenced by Nambala Keshava Rao while working in the hostel mess of REC. His surrender was attributed to deteriorating health, disillusionment with the party's ideology, and increasing public resentment against Maoist violence.
Warangal, as the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty, was a fountainhead of the Naxal movement until the turn of the century. The movement strengthened the demand for a separate Telangana state. While the Naxal movement weakened due to police encounters, students of Kakatiya University provided a base for it.
The story of NIT Warangal's connection to the Maoist movement highlights the complex interplay between education, ideology, and social activism. While the institution aimed to produce technical experts, it also inadvertently became a crucible for revolutionary ideas that shaped the course of Indian history.
