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The new generation might not be familiar with the term ‘kodoski,’ but it was quite popular in our time. The term is a simple combination of two words: ‘kodo’ (millet) and ‘raksi’ (liquor). I was familiar with millet liquor but had never heard of ‘tongba’. 

When I arrived at the Gurkha Welfare Center in Sorhakhutte, Kathmandu, for higher studies, I was introduced to tongba—a traditional, indigenous, hot, millet-based alcoholic beer from Eastern Nepal. During the cold winter evenings in Kathmandu, tongba, paired with a plate of momo and crispy sukuti (dried meat), made for excellent company.

Millet, particularly kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum), has historically been considered the food of the poor. There was a time when people would cook millet dishes secretly. If someone was preparing dhido (a traditional millet dish) and an important guest visited, the family would hide the dhido and cook rice instead to serve the guest. Society unnecessarily glorified rice over millet.

Times have changed. Urban restaurants now include millet-based dishes in their menus, which has helped elevate the prestige of kodo. Media and society have also highlighted the health benefits of millet. Additionally, the demand for kodo-based raksi and tongba has surged. While tongba was traditionally a winter drink, it’s now available year-round.

The Gandaki Rural Municipality in Gorkha has begun producing and distributing local liquor under the brand name ‘Gandaki kodo ko raksi’ (Gandaki millet liquor), with other municipalities following suit. However, Nepalis are consuming millet products, including kodoski, unsustainably and often associating them unnecessarily with national pride. It’s essential for all Nepali to understand that Kodo isn’t exclusive to Nepal. It’s also widely popular in India. In Bengali and Odia languages, this millet is called kodo, while in Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, and Gujarati, it is known as kodra—a name derived from the Sanskrit word kotrawa.

Kodo or millet originated in Africa and was domesticated in the Indian subcontinent around 3,000 years ago. Known for its drought-resistant properties, it thrives in dry regions and is one of the world’s oldest grains. Both African and Asian countries cultivate this millet in dry and semi-arid climates, where it serves as a staple food crop. In India, kodo is primarily grown in the Deccan region, the southern peninsula, and areas south of the Narmada River, with cultivation extending to the foothills of the Himalayas, including Nepal.

Millet is an excellent grain to consume due to its nourishing nutritional profile, making it a suitable replacement for rice or wheat. It contains significantly more protein, fiber, and minerals than rice, one of the major staple grains. Millet is particularly high in protein, with an eight percent composition. It also contains glutelin protein. Compared to wheat (0.2 percent fiber) and rice (0.2 percent fiber), kodo stands out as a top-quality source of dietary fiber, boasting nine percent fiber content.

In Nepal, a remarkable diversity of about 22 millet species exists, serving multiple purposes ranging from food and feed to fodder. These include both cultivated and wild varieties.

According to official data, Nepal imported 15.2m kilograms of millet worth Rs 754.43m in the fiscal year 2023/24. In 2022/23, imports were higher, totaling 18.4m kilograms valued at Rs 732m. Notably, 2023 was declared the International Year of Millet (IYM) by the United Nations General Assembly during its seventy-fifth session.

Looking back, in 2008/09, Nepal imported 12.37m kilograms of millet valued at Rs 65.32m. Despite being the world’s 13th largest producer of millet, Nepal’s production has been insufficient to meet the growing demand. The majority of Nepal’s millet imports come from India.

A 2020 study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that Nepal produced 320,953 tons of millet that year, while India produced a staggering 12.49m tons. In the previous fiscal year, Nepal imported 15.29m kilograms of millet from India.

If Nepal wants to consume more millet, the country needs to increase domestic production. Otherwise, millet will become yet another item that makes Nepal dependent on imports.

To adopt a sustainable approach to millet production, Arjun Prasad Khanal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal, wrote in the International Journal of Environmental and Agriculture Research in 2023, “Nepal needs to bring the millet crop from its existing state of ‘marginal, underutilized, and poor man’s crop’ into the ‘commercial, trade potential, and high-status crop’ of Nepal.”

He further emphasized, “The inner Tarai and Hilly regions of Nepal have tremendous potential for producing quality millet. It’s like a situation where the ‘iron is already hot,’ and it’s up to Nepal to either shape it properly or watch it cool down, missing a valuable opportunity.”

In a recent initiative, Kushma Municipality in Parbat district has started cultivating millet on 200 Ropanis (101,744 square meters) of fields that had been lying fallow for years. This year, the municipality produced 16 Muris of millet, generating revenue of Rs 80,000 by utilizing the previously unused land. The initiative, part of the Prime Minister’s Employment Program, aims to connect unemployed youth with agricultural employment and maximize the potential of fallow land. The municipality chose this area because it was historically known for millet farming and remains highly fertile, yielding an abundant harvest.

My advice to every municipality is to follow Kushma Municipality’s example and prioritize millet production. Otherwise, we risk ending up with ‘Nepali kodoski’ made from imported Indian millet.

The author is a London-based R&D chef

The floods and landslides that struck in September 2024 have left a trail of devastation at Nabughat in Manthali Municipality, Ramechhap district, destroying farmland, vegetation, and the livelihoods of countless families. Among the hardest hit is Neeta Majhi, whose 15 ropani fields were completely washed away by the Sunkoshi flood. Neeta, who lives with her seven-member family, including four school-going children and elderly in-laws, now faces an uncertain future. With no food or income, she is forced to borrow money to buy rice and other essentials, leaving her anxious and overwhelmed. “I don’t know where to go or what to do to feed my family,” she says, her voice filled with despair.

Neeta’s plight is shared by approximately 50 families in the Jhurupp Majhi settlement, located in the southeastern corner of Manthali Municipality-6. The flood has left the community in ruins, with fields buried under sand and crops destroyed. “September 28 was a black day for Nabughat,” says Badri Bahadur Majhi, a local resident. “The flood buried everyone’s fields and crops. Now, all that remains is a vast expanse of sand. We can’t even tell where our land used to be.” Standing amidst the sandbanks, Badri gestures helplessly, trying to identify the boundaries of his lost farmland. “This is where my land used to lie,” he says, pointing to the heaps of sand around him. “But now, it’s all gone.”

The Sunkoshi flood has left behind deep ditches and towering sand dunes, rendering the once-fertile land unusable. Chakra Bahadur Majhi, another local, explains the challenges of reclaiming the land. “If we can clear the sand and prepare the land, we might be able to cultivate it again,” he says. However, the task is daunting. Unlike other areas where the Koshi River has receded, leaving behind cultivable land, Nabughat’s fields remain buried under layers of sand and debris. The community’s hopes are pinned on restoring the land to its former productivity, but progress has been slow.

Last year, locals successfully grew watermelons on the advice of agricultural technicians, and this year, they hope to do the same. “We’ll plant watermelons again,” says Chakra. “What else can we do? We just hope the land will be ready in time.” The community believes that beneath the nearly 500 ropanis of sand lies the fertile soil of their former farmland. In hopes of reclaiming it, they have appealed to Manthali Municipality for assistance. The municipality has allocated Rs 600,000 for sand removal and land restoration, but Ward Chairman Ashok Tamang admits it is insufficient. “The budget isn’t enough to clear the sand and restore the land,” he says. “We’re waiting for additional funds to start the work.”

The flood has also destroyed the irrigation infrastructure, compounding the challenges faced by the community. Wells, pipes, and cement-lined canals have been washed away, while electricity poles lie half-buried or broken. “First, we need to reclaim the land, then we can focus on rebuilding the irrigation system,” says Kale Majhi, a local elder and former public representative. “This is a disaster. The Koshi, which had never reached Nabughat before, has now devastated our village.” Kale, who has witnessed decades of change in the region, is deeply concerned about the future. “We’ve never faced anything like this,” he says. “The flood has taken everything from us.”

Four months after the flood, the community feels abandoned. “No one has come to help us,” laments Kale Majhi. Whenever outsiders visit the village, he hopes for relief, but so far, the community has received little support. “All we’ve gotten is a sack of rice,” he says. The lack of assistance has left the people of Nabughat feeling forgotten and hopeless. “We’ve lost our land, our crops, and our livelihoods,” says Neeta Majhi. “We don’t know how we’ll survive.”

The road to recovery is long and uncertain for the people of Nabughat. While the community remains resilient, the challenges they face are immense. Reclaiming the land, rebuilding infrastructure, and restoring livelihoods will require significant resources and support. For now, the Majhi community clings to hope, determined to rebuild their lives despite the odds. “We’ve faced hardships before, but this is the hardest,” says Badri Bahadur Majhi. “We’ll keep fighting, but we can’t do it alone. We need help.”

The Martyrs Day is being celebrated by organizing various programs across the country today.

The Day is observed in memory of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country and people.

At different times of history, many people fought for liberty, freedoms and democracy and got martyrdom in Nepal. In commemoration and tribute to them, week-long programs are being organized every year.

In 2012BS, then Kathmandu Municipality began coordinating the programs organized in honor of the martyrs. It has continued till date.

In response to the demand of democracy, civic rights and liberty, Shukra Raj Shastri was executed by then autocratic Rana regime at Pachali, Kathmandu on Magh 10, 1997; Dharma Bhakta Mathema at Siphal, Kathmandu on Magh 13 and Ganga Lal Shrestha and Dasharath Chanda at Shova Bhagawati, Kathmandu on Magh 15 the same year.

Meanwhile, President Ram Chandra Paudel said that true condolences to the martyrs would be to move forward towards meeting the aspiration for sustainable peace, good governance, development and prosperity by means of the federal democratic republican governance system achieved from the sacrifice of the great martyrs.

The President expressed the belief that the Martyrs Day would give further inspiration for sincerely fulfilling the role we all have to play from our side to materialize the aspirations of the martyrs while highly regarding their sacrifices.

"On the occasion of the Martyrs Day, 2081 BS, I extend my heartfelt tribute to all the known and unknown martyrs, including the great martyrs Shukraraj Shastri, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Dashrath Chand, Gangalal Shrestha, who gave their valuable life for establishing civic freedom and democracy, and for protection of nationality," he said.

President Paudel noted that the Martyrs Day is a day of special remembrance of the great martyrs who sacrificed their life for the country.

"Sacrificing one's precious life for the welfare of the people and the nation is martyrdom. May this Day inspire and encourage all the political parties, the general public and all concerned to dedicate their heart, words and deeds to realize the aspirations of the martyrs who have attained martyrdom for the independence of the Nation and the Nepali people," the President said in his message.

In light of the recent political situation in the United States, the United Nepali Political Action Committee (UNPAC) has appealed to the Nepalis in the US to immediately reach out for assistance or legal consultations if they face any issues. Operating as a non-profit organization with approval from the US government, UNPAC has been providing support to the Nepali American community in various challenging circumstances. 

“The problems faced by the Nepali American community are our problems as well,” said UNPAC Chairperson Adrian Pokhrel. “We are committed to working together to find solutions and resolve these issues.” Many prominent Nepali Americans from various sectors are part of UNPAC.