The Good Earth

MADAN RAI

Born 60 years ago in Khotang, Madan Rai showed the people in Mustang the lucrative possibility of growing apples in the district. People in Khotang see him as a development guru. Madan Rai, who believes in the power of the soil, returned to Khotang with years of international experience as an agriculture expert and is now providing employment skills and entrepreneurial trainings to youth.

The Good Earth

I believe in the greatness of the soil because it can address all the needs of human beings. Our family depended on agriculture and I played with the soil from the day I started to crawl. But when I was older, I toiled in the mud like a slave and often prayed, “God I am serving you 16 hours every day. Have mercy to give me enough to fill my belly!” I always questioned why some had food of their choice while others did not.

          A school education promised a happy life. I compromised with hunger, but not with knowledge. I pursued my education. I attended high school and college, but never forgot that I was born and brought up with the soil. Ultimately, I learned about the essence of soil when I graduated with a degree in Agriculture Science from Udaipur University in India. I learned that soil yields nuggets of gold and not just rice.

          I went to Mustang, the district beyond the Himalayas, as an Agriculture Specialist, nurturing my belief in the soil. Tourism and daily life depended on vegetables fetched by a helicopter from the city of Pokhara. But something was not right. Knowing that there was a lot of potential in the soil of Mustang. I approached the villagers, held their spades, and taught them how to sow apples, cabbage, and cauliflower. For 13 years, I taught the farmers many improved agricultural skills, from seed production to new ways of irrigation. What was once a desolate and dry land has now been completely transformed into a lush green belt with apple trees and vegetable farms. My experiment and experience in Mustang has consolidated my belief in the soil.

          I learned about the soil of more than 60 countries in the course of my international career. I also learned a lot from my colleagues’ experience. I saw them turning sand into soil. I saw the essence of life in the soil. I saw countries and people becoming prosperous once they understood the essence of soil. If a mountainous country like South Korea, a water-logged country like Singapore, and a dark mountainous country like Switzerland could become prosperous, then I am sure Nepal can also grow equal amounts because of the mountains, hills, and the terai. In the end, I gave up my international work to do something worthwhile in my village.

          I returned to my village of Ratancha in Khotang after many years, but it had not changed. I established the Khotang Development Forum and started providing modern agriculture training to farmers. The effort still continues.

          Rice was a cherished delicacy for me in the past, but no more. I still enjoy the typical Nepali dhindo but the difference is that yesterday I had it without vegetables and today I have plenty of vegetables. I still work 16 hours a day, but now work is fun. Yesterday, I had nothing more than labor and today there is skill and technology. Born and brought up with the soil, I have spent my life understanding the soil. I believe in agriculture. I believe in the greatness of the soil.