Srinagar: National Conference on Wednesday reiterated that discontinuing the annual Darbar Move will increase the gap between the two regions of J&K and cautioned the government against scrapping the move saying the practice “helps foster unity and integrity between culturally diverse regions.”
While reacting to the recent HC order suggesting discontinuation of the age old practice, the party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said: “The practice of moving the secretariat to and fro between Jammu and Srinagar is a testimony to our complex history and tradition. Seeing it through the prism of only financial implications is erroneous.”
He added: “It is needless to mention how the practice has done a great service towards fostering lasting relationship between the people of Jammu and Kashmir divisions. The dynamic concept behind the move has been to help make strong the cultural contacts among various sections of the people of J&K.”
“Besides JK is not the only exception to have two capital cities. Recently Andhra Pradesh has proposed to have three capital cities. Similarly there are other places which have a multi capital system in place. Capitals of any state or a country are not chosen whimsically. They are the nerve centres of any region which owing to their centrality, history and topography grow into centres of business, commerce and industry. So by any yardstick cities of Jammu and Srinagar are best suited for the job.”
Referring to the financial implications of the move, the party said, “at a time when digital revolution has become the order of the day and has overtaken our way of working, the excuse of difficulty in moving files from one place to another holds no ground. In the age of cloud computing and other internet technologies, the expenditure involved in the practice can be curtailed. The use of ICT can help us cut on the annual expenditure exponentially.”
Batting for the continuation of practice of Darbar Move, the party said: “Annual Move has a positive psychological impact on people. Having families to travel from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa leaves a positive impact on people to people relation divided by geographical barriers. The ritual of moving offices has more implicit connotation to it which if overlooked can prove disastrous.”
“Having two capital cities affords to provide a sense of political empowerment to people of two regions. It is a holistic model that relates to the pride to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The practice also gives a sense of participation to people from different backgrounds working towards the overall development of two regions of J&K.”
