The worsening instability, particularly in the Gulf countries, has increased worries about the security of around one million Nepali workers and the national economy that is dependant on the remittance they send back home.
Every year, Nepal receives around Rs 230 billion as remittance from almost two million Nepali migrant workers spread around the world.
Of the total, half of the workers are stationed in the Gulf countries alone.
The uprisings in that part could severely derail stability back home, warn experts.
Raging Flame
The flame of uprising that started three months ago in Tunisia is engulfing Arab countries one after another – Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Oman and Bahrain.
In the last one decade, the remittance receipts have become the mainstay of the Nepali economy.
In that, the stability of the Gulf countries is as important – at least from economic perspective – to Nepal as is its domestic political stability.
But the scenes of popular unrest, street protests and rebellion in streets of Arab that have hugged the world headlines since last three months is now threatening to unravel the stability that had marked the Arab world for many decades.
Analysts also fear that since the protesters have, often times, raised sentiments of ‘nationalism,’ the future of foreign employees hangs in balance.
The future dispensation in these countries may be lesser inclined to importing laborers, they say.
“This is certain to have long lasting impact on Nepal. If the agitation spreads and results in regime change in countries such as Bahrain or Kuwait or United Arab Emirates, then we have absolutely no idea how the future government would react to foreign employment. This can invite an unfortunate situation for us,” said Nishchal Nath Pandey, Director of Centre for South Asian Studies.
He also regrets what he calls total indifference on the part of the government towards the unravelling situation in the Gulf despite its tremendous implications for Nepal.