On the first birthday of the National Conference government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced the revival of the traditional bi-annual Darbar Move. It is after four years that there will be a shifting of offices from the summer capital of Srinagar to the winter capital of Jammu. The Omar Abdullah-led Cabinet had given a green signal for the Darbar Move in September this year. It was a matter of time before the final announcement would be made. The government chose its first anniversary to make it public. In fact, the announcement comes days before the by-election in Jammu’s Nagrota and Kashmir’s Budgam assembly constituencies. Soon after the announcement, the General Administration Department issued a formal order for the shifting of offices. According ot the schedule, offices will close in Srinagar on November 1 and reopen in Jammu on November 3. Thirty-nine offices, departments, and organizations, including the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, will move in full strength. Forty-seven others will move into the camp.. Started in 1872 by Maharaja Gulab Singh, the Darbar Move was aimed at ensuring administrative accessibility across both regions. The practice continued till 2021, though earlier attempts to scrap this practice met with huge resistance. The shifting of the Darbar Move during the nineties, when terrorism was at its peak, was a major challenge. Particularly in Srinagar, entire roads used to be closed for traffic to ensure the seamless movement of employee convoys. Security forces used to escort convoys to and from the Secretariat every morning and evening. Employees of the Jammu region were barred from roaming freely in the markets, fearing terror attacks. Much water has flown down the Jhelum. Terrorism has waned, and Kashmir is moving on the path of peace and prosperity. Darbar Move is not just a royal legacy; it is a matter of survival for small and medium traders in Jammu. Jammu’s economy sustains on pilgrim tourism and the Darbar Move. Particularly, the urban economy of Jammu heavily relies on the Darbar Move. Winter is the season when small and medium traders in Jammu do brisk business. It is not only employees of the secretariat but people in general from Kashmir who travel to Jammu in winter. In fact, the affluent Kashmiris bought houses in Jammu to escape bone bone-chilling winter of the valley. Those who could not afford their own houses started taking flats on rent for six months. The movement of Kashmiris from one region to another became a practice. It became so famous that Kashmiri kandur, butchers, and even hawkers set up their shops in Jammu. For the Omar Abdullah government, it was a promise he made during the election. It took him a year to prepare the ground to revive this practice. It is just a matter of days before Jammu bazaars will again see the hustle and bustle.
Darbar Move
