Raju

The Raju (or Rajulu) are a Telugu caste found mostly in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Etymology and claims of Kshatriya status

The Raju caste, which A. Satyanarayana calls the "locally dominant landed gentry", claims Kshatriya status in the varna system despite there being "no real Kshatriya varna" in the Andhra region. They also claim descent from the ancient royal dynasties of India such as the Eastern Chalukyas, Chalukya-Cholas, Vishnukundina, Gajapati, Chagi, Paricheda and Kota Vamsa.

Raju is a Telugu language variant of the Sanskrit title Raja, a term for a monarch or princely ruler. Cynthia Talbot describes the term as being:

In medieval Andhra Pradesh, the title was used in both senses, and was very likely adopted by some secular Brahmins, who occupied important advisory functions. The royal usage at that time was particularly prevalent in the northern coastal areas of the region. Talbot also notes that the title, and others in use at that time, do not align with the Vedic four-fold varna system and in that sense could not refer to a caste. However, they do appear to have conformed to

Raju (Tamil militant)

Ambalavanar Neminathan (Tamil: அம்பலவாணர் நேமிநாதன் Ampalavāṇar Nēminātaṉ; 30 May 1961 – 25 August 2002; commonly known by the nom de guerre Raju) was a leading member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka.

Neminathan was born on 30 May 1961. He was from Erlalai South near Chunnakam, Jaffna District.

Neminathan joined the LTTE after the Black July riots of 1983, taking on the nom de guerre Raju. Raju served as the head of the LTTE's Engineering Corps. He was said to be close to LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran. He was special commander of the Leopard Commandos, an infantry unit, and chief technical officer in the Kittu Regiment, the LTTE's artillery unit which Raju helped create. Raju was the target of a number of covert assassination attempts by the Sri Lankan military.

After developing cancer Raju was taken from Vanni to Malaysia by boat. He died on 25 August 2002 in Malaysia. He was posthumously promoted to Colonel.

Raju (film)

Raju is an live action short film directed by Max Zahle. The film was nominated for the 2012 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

The film follows a German couple who adopt a little boy who they believe to be an orphan from Kolkata, India. When he goes missing on the second day, they realise that his parents are still alive and that he has been abducted from his family. The story details their dramatic response to the discovery.

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