Darbar moves again

The Darbar Move, a 150-year-old practice that symbolizes Jammu and Kashmir’s unity, was revived on Monday after a four-year gap, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah walking from his residence to the Civil Secretariat amid a rousing reception from traders and citizens in Jammu. As the Chief Minister made his way through Residency Road and Raghunath Bazar, hundreds of traders lined the streets, showering flower petals, beating drums, and distributing sweets. The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), which had long demanded the return of the biannual office shift, led the celebrations.

The practice of shifting the government between the two capitals was started by the Dogra rulers to maintain administrative balance and integration between Jammu and Srinagar. However, in June 2021, the administration led by Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha scrapped it, citing high costs and the adoption of e-office systems that could save around Rs 200 crore annually.

People in the Jammu region, especially the traders, strongly opposed the government decision to end the practice. According to them, the ending of the Move detrimentally impacted the businesses, as people from the Valley stopped travelling to Jammu in large numbers that, in turn, helped the local economy.

Of course, some would argue that practical concerns remain. The cost of moving offices and ensuring administrative efficiency will still need careful management. But the advantages of the Move far outweigh the expenditure incurred on the practice. As the celebration by the traders in Jammu has highlighted, the shift to Jammu by thousands of employees, their families and many others who make the region their home during winter months gives a leg up to Jammu’s economy. So the Move was never just about files and finances but about the bond between people of Kashmir and Jammu.

As the CM rightly said that everything shouldn’t be measured in monetary terms. “Some things hold emotional significance,“ he told reporters during his walk to the Secretariat. That said, Move has an over riding economic rationale too.