Jammu: Amid scenes of celebration, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was warmly welcomed by the people as the historic ‘Darbar Move’ resumed after a four-year break. This tradition involves relocating the capital and administrative offices of Jammu and Kashmir from Srinagar to Jammu in the winter and back to Srinagar in the summer. Abdullah walked from his official residence to Raghunath Bazar on his way to the Civil Secretariat, where he was greeted by large crowds along Residency Road. Traders and citizens showered him with flower petals and offered sweets while drumbeats and celebratory slogans filled the air.
Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Jal Shakti Minister Javed Rana, Abdullah left his residence around 9 am and had to take a vehicle at Raghunath Bazar to reach the Secretariat. His choice to walk the distance was praised by locals, who viewed it as a gesture of humility and connection with the community. Upon arrival at the Civil Secretariat, he received a guard of honour from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and took the salute. Another group of people greeted Abdullah’s cavalcade with flower petals and drumbeats.
“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,” Abdullah shared on social media. The Darbar Move tradition, initiated by the Dogra rulers nearly 150 years ago, was suspended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in June 2021, who cited a complete transition to e-office that could save around Rs 200 crore annually.