Jammu

Amid scenes of jubilation, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday received an enthusiastic welcome from the people here as the historic 'Darbar Move' tradition resumed after a hiatus of four years.

The tradition involves shifting the J&K 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 greeted by surging crowds along the Residency Road, where traders and citizens showered flower petals on him. Sweets were distributed as the air thrummed with drumbeats and celebratory slogans.

The chief minister, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Jal Shakti Minister Javed Rana, left his official residence at around 9 am and had to board his vehicle at Raghunath Bazar to reach the Secretariat.

Abdullah's decision to be on foot 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 J&K Police contingent and took the salute on reaching the Civil Secretariat, where another group of people waited, beating drums, and showered more petals on seeing Abdullah's cavalcade.

"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 LG Manoj Sinha in June 2021, citing the administration's complete transition to e-office, which, he said, would save around Rs 200 crore annually.

The decision drew sharp criticism from various quarters, including Jammu's business community, which termed the move a blow to trade and the traditional bond between the two regions. They had been pressing for the revival of the practice ever since.

On October 16, Abdullah fulfilled his election promise by reviving the tradition, bringing relief to the business community here.

The Civil Secretariat and other move offices closed in Srinagar on October 30 and 31, and started functioning from the winter capital on Monday for the next six months.

“How important was this (decision), especially for Jammu, you might have come to know this morning. The journey (to the Secretariat), which usually takes five minutes, took an hour with people pouring out on the streets and showering their love… Jammu was greatly affected when the ‘Darbar Move’ was stopped,” the chief minister told reporters at the Secretariat.

Abdullah expressed hope that the economy of Jammu and Kashmir would benefit from the revival.

“The most important thing is that everything should not be weighed in money. The ‘Darbar Move’ was stopped to save money. Some things are more than money, as it involves sentiment and unity between the two regions of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, adding that the tradition is the "biggest way" to unite the regions.

Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Arun Gupta was among the first ones to greet the chief minister.

“This is a historic day for us, and the warm welcome accorded to the chief minister tells it all. We decided to thank him for accepting the demand of the traders and the civil society,” Gupta said, describing the revival as a major step that will help grow all sectors.

He said the stopping of the ‘Darbar Move’ had caused significant harm to Jammu.

“The people of Jammu are very happy with this decision, and we are hopeful that our chief minister will also address all our pending demands related to various issues facing the industry,” he said.

National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who also reached the Secretariat and witnessed the guard of honour, said Jammu has come alive with the decision of the government.

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“After years, the full ‘Darbar Move' has returned... I am very happy that those who were trying to separate Jammu and Kashmir failed today. Jammu and Kashmir is a single entity, and Jammu will benefit a lot,” he said, expressing confidence in the government fulfilling all its election promises in the next four years to benefit the people.