Historic Darbar move resumes after 4 years

Jammu: Amid scenes of jubilation and festivity, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday received a rousing welcome from the people here as the historic ‘Darbar Move’ resumed after a four-year hiatus. The tradition involves shifting the Jammu and Kashmir capital and administrative offices from Srinagar to Jammu in the winter and vice versa in the summer.

Walking from his official residence to Raghunath Bazar en route to the Civil Secretariat, Abdullah was cheered on by massive crowds along the Residency Road, where traders and citizens showered flower petals on him and distributed sweets as the air thrummed with drumbeats and celebratory slogans.

Abdullah, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Jal Shakti Minister Javed Rana, left his official residence around 9 am and had to board his vehicle at Raghunath Bazar to reach the Secretariat. His decision to walk the distance drew praise from locals, who saw it as a symbol of humility and connection with the people.

The chief minister was given a guard of honour by the Jammu and Kashmir Police contingent and took the salute on reaching the Civil Secretariat, where another group of people showered flower petals on Abdullah’s cavalcade while the sound of drumbeats rent the air.

“I was humbled to receive a warm and rousing welcome from the people of Jammu as I arrived for the biannual Darbar Move today and interacted with traders and members of civil society at Shahidi Chowk and Raghunath Bazar,” the chief minister said in a post on social media.

The Darbar Move tradition was started by the Dogra rulers nearly 150 years ago. It was halted by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in June 2021, citing the administration’s complete transition to e-office, which, he said, would save around Rs 200 crore annually.