For the past few days, any article on the peace summit between Trump and Kim Jong-Un has brought a smile on my face, as I immediately burst into laughter subconsciously, while my mind promptly recollects the amusing and comical event.
Quite a bit of time has passed, but I still vividly remember the threatening and combative statements such as “fire and fury like the world has never seen” and “rocket man on a suicide mission for himself and his regime.” These drew equally scathing statements from the North Korean supremo – “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire” – which, back then, suggested the possibility of unending belligerence and profound hostility, thereby inducing doubt and despair in the minds of the common people.
But the sudden air of peace has brought about many ‘historic’ moments like the handshake and the signing of the summit agreement. All of this highlights the fact that even the statements made recently (like Trump describing Kim as “very talented” and that they got on from the very beginning) are no less historic than the previous ones. A layman like me, who has knowledge on diplomacy but only restricted to its definition, finds this turnaround from hostile to hospitable an act of wizardry rather than diplomacy. After all, it is quite difficult to register the drastic change in their statements within a year – something which is uncommon even in a common person’s life, where making peace after a trivial altercation is not as drastically intimate.
Recently, an opinion article on the peace summit (“An improbable friendship”) impressed me by its apt title because the word ‘improbable’ felt very subtle. I think that even with the surrounding uncertainty, the bonhomie shall be an epitome of distinguished diplomacy.
One cannot help but wish that an identical spell of diplomacy (or let’s say wizardry) in the Indian subcontinent leads to ‘historic moments’ by applying equal efforts in statesmanship, consultancy and leadership. It is hoped that such a course of action ends the vehement bitterness and promotes prosperity between India and Pakistan – and gives the current generation the opportunity to smile at any article which may highlight the change in Indo-Pak relations from one of hostility to one of hope and peace.