Nellore Venkatarama Naidu laid the foundation of the weekly magazine ‘Zameen Rythu’ in the year 1930. He was born on 28 May 1891 in the Potlapudi village of the Nellore district. His mother was Smt. Atchamma and their father were Sri Raghavulu Naidu. He could attain education only up to the primary level and work as Karanam (village officer) in Indukurpet village in his native district. He left his job and joined the Non-Cooperation Movement upon the call of Mahatma Gandhi. He fought for the abolition of the Zamindari system alongside Smt. Ponaka Kanakamma.
Nellore Venkatarama began the news magazine ‘Zamindari Rythu’ on 7 March 1930 with Ponaka Pitchi Reddy as the Editor of the magazine. He renamed it ‘Zameen Rythu’ on 21 September 1934. This magazine played a vital role during the Indian freedom struggle. He focused on issues such as the difficulties and sufferings of farmers under the exploitative Zamindari system through the medium of this magazine. He opined that the magazine should be for the sake of villagers and thought that they were patrons of his newspaper. Once he wrote about his role in the magazine stating that, “I was the editor, clerk, office assistant, and sweeper.”
Zamindars and the British government troubled Nellore Venkatarama with repeated police raids, attempts of assassination, and prohibition orders but he continued the magazine with audacity and courage. Finally, the government completely banned the news magazine and arrested anyone who possessed the same. But the magazine was continued and secretly published and passed onto the public. Nellore Venkatarama infused life in the magazine during the freedom movement and it has been running for the past seven decades without any interruption and has become a symbol of the district. Nellore Venkatarama Naidu was paralyzed on 15 August 1957, and he passed away on 17 February 1959, leaving Zameen Rythu as his heir to the people and villagers of the Nellore district.