Often, it is said that a hug is a perfect gift – one size fits all and nobody minds if you exchange it. But, in Navjot Singh Sidhu’s case – the legendary Indian cricketer and a minister in the state of Punjab – the saying severely differed. By nature, Sidhu is frank. His jolly gestures have lit up several TV stations time, and time again. It was okay for some when he showed his affection toward his fellow hosts, but his hug, with the Pakistani Army Chief – General Qamar Javed Bajwa  – during the oath ceremony of the newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, stirred a huge controversy across India.

Despite geopolitical complexities riveting the Asian region, Nepal, as an immediate neighbor, has formally joined the China-led belt and road initiative (BRI), with an anticipation to promote mutual beneficial cooperation in various fields including infrastructural up-gradation, economic development, and enhancement of the capacity in the service sector, technology transfer, cultural collaboration and above all growth of tourism sector. Because of the connectivity, millions of people visit or go through Nepal.

No matter the cause of the diplomatic-earthquake that has struck Qatar, the aftershocks can be felt all the way in Nepal. Of particular concern are the approximately twenty-thousand Nepali migrant workers currently in Qatar employed in various sectors, ranging from agriculture to industry.