Mani Shankar Aiyar was among the rare Indian politicians who had consistently  spoken against India’s highhandedness during the five months of border blockade. The former cabinet minister in Manmohan Singh government has since been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s neighborhood policy. The veteran diplomat and writer sat down for a conversation with Republica’s Biswas Baral about PM Modi’s Nepal policy,  India’s concerns over China’s role in Nepal and the future of SAARC, among other issues.