Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao - Entry Into Journalism

Entry Into Journalism

Sri Nageshwara Rao's entry into the challenging field of journalism could aptly be compared to Pulitzer's into the Fourth Estate on the other side of the Atlantic. It was a time when journalism, in this country was undergoing a silent transformation and the then Government did not look upon the 'Native Press' with any sympathy. It needed a competent and fearless man to not only mirror the heritage of the nation but also interpret the day-to-day political trends.

Sri Nageshwara Rao took up the challenge when he launched the 'Andhra Patrika', a weekly from the metropolis of Bombay in September, 1908.His publication thrilled the Andhras; while his forewords reflected scholarship and keen insight into and appreciation of public affairs.In 1914 when the First World War broke out, it was clear that the clamor for political emancipation was gathering momentum. Sri Nageshwara Rao wanted to interpret the trends of the time in their own language to the Andhras so that they may have an opportunity of playing their role in moulding India's future. With this aim in view, he started a Telugu daily, Andhra Patrika, the first copy of which rolled out of the press on April 1, 1914 from Madras. It was the undaunted ability of Nageshwara Rao who kept up the tempo and made the paper an institution of repute, to this day Andhra Patrika is a force to reckon with in the land of the Krishna. A decade later in January, 1924, he launched a Telugu journal Bharati' which has been rendering signal service to the literary and cultural advancement of the Andhras.