This even Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s worst detractors will grudgingly admit, in private, if not in public. The major restructuring of his Council of Ministers on July 7 was a masterstroke.
What was hyped and publicised as a “reshuffle” actually turned out to be a massive upheaval, much more than what anyone had expected. It was nothing short of a makeover.
More appropriately, we ought to denominate it as a significant reorganisation of ministers, ministries, and portfolios. But that would be polite, corporate-style lingo. In the eyes of the people, it was not merely the customary midterm rearrangement or readjustment — old wine in new bottles, so to speak. It was nothing less than an rejig, shake-up, makeover.