KINS Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 25 (KINS): Member of Parliament (MP) from Baramulla, Er Rashid, led a protest rally in Srinagar on Friday, calling for the restoration of the historic “Darbar Move” tradition, which was abolished by Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha in 2021.
The Darbar Move, a 149-year-old biannual practice, involved the shifting of the Jammu and Kashmir administration between the summer capital, Srinagar, and the winter capital, Jammu. The tradition was halted by the LG’s administration, citing cost-cutting and efficiency measures.
Carrying banners and chanting slogans, scores of protesters marched from Hari Singh High Street to Civil Secretariat Srinagar urging the government to reconsider the decision.
“We held this protest to pressurize the government for immediate restoration of Darbar Move. Everyone is confused due to abolition of this practise. People of Kashmir don’t know where are their files and people of Jammu face same issue,” Er said, according to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
Rashid also said that the halting of the Darbar Move has economically affected many sectors, including small businesses, transporters, and hotel owners, who relied on the seasonal influx of government officials and their families. “This protest was reminder for Omar Abdullah Sahab to restore the Darbar Move at the earliest,” he added.
LG Manoj Sinha’s administration had earlier defended the decision, citing the Rs 200 crore annual expenditure that the Darbar Move entailed, as well as the logistical difficulties involved in relocating the government twice a year. However, critics argue that the decision has distanced the government from the people, especially in the Kashmir Valley, where the presence of the administration during summer was seen as crucial for governance. (KINS).
