J&K Revives Historic 150-Year-Old Darbar Move Tradition After 4-Year Hiatus

The historic Darbar Move tradition, initially abolished in 2021 by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has now been officially reinstated.

In a significant administrative development, hundreds of government employees traveled from Srinagar to Jammu over the weekend, accompanied by extensive convoys of buses transporting official documents, as the 150-year-old Darbar Move tradition was formally restored by the Jammu and Kashmir government.

This biannual relocation of the capital between Srinagar (summer) and Jammu (winter), which had been discontinued in 2021, officially recommences on Monday.

The Civil Secretariat, representing the government's highest administrative center, is scheduled to reopen in Jammu on November 3, making the top government offices fully operational from the winter capital.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who traveled to Jammu today to inaugurate the reopening ceremony, emphasized that discontinuing the 'Darbar Move' practice had constituted an "injustice to the people of Jammu" and had significantly damaged the regional equilibrium in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Eliminating the Darbar Move was an injustice to Jammu's residents. It severely undermined the regional balance across Jammu and Kashmir. By reestablishing the 'Darbar Move,' I have rectified that injustice," Abdullah stated.

This practice, originally established by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872, ensured administrative accessibility for citizens across both regions.

The 'Darbar Move' was terminated in 2021 by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha as a cost-reduction measure, with claims that its abolition would save approximately Rs 200 crore annually.

However, discontinuing this tradition severely impacted Jammu's economy. Local traders reported considerable business losses following the 2021 decision and have persistently advocated for the revival of this time-honored tradition. In 2022, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries initiated a campaign for its restoration. Both trade organizations and political groups maintain that the move represents not only a livelihood source but also a powerful symbol of coexistence and communal harmony.

In a related development, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has issued a directive making it mandatory for the Home Department and associated offices to operate from both Srinagar and Jammu.