The age-old Darbar Move made a comeback in Jammu and Kashmir after a four-year hiatus, signalling the reversal of a key decision by the Omar Abdullah government.

The return of the tradition, which marks the shift of government offices to Jammu for six months, was cheered by enthusiastic crowds in the BJP bastion.

Omar got a rousing reception as he walked the 2km distance between Jammu’s iconic Raghunath Bazar to the civilian secretariat. A surging crowd raised slogans in Omar’s support, garlanded him and his ministers and showered them with petals. The public outpouring of support is no mean achievement for the National Conference, which traditionally has had few supporters in Jammu.

The resumption of the Darbar Move — a practice started by the erstwhile Dogra rulers of Jammu — is seen as the biggest achievement of the year-old Omar government, which is struggling to fulfil its election promises, including the restoration of statehood.

In 2021, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha’s administration had ended the 149-year-old biannual tradition. Following an uproar in Jammu, it allowed a handful of top officers to shuttle between the Srinagar and Jammu civil secretariats.

The Darbar Move boosts the Jammu economy, as tens of thousands of ordinary Kashmiris and government employees flock to the winter capital for a few months to escape the biting cold in the Valley.

The LG's administration had claimed that the Darbar Move was stopped to save ₹200 crore spent on the exercise annually. But many believe the real reason was to prevent Kashmiris from buying land in Jammu.

Omar argued that everything should not be seen through the lens of “money”. “It was (reportedly) stopped, but some things are more important than money. It brought about a unity between Jammu and Kashmir, between Jammu and Srinagar. The Darbar Move was the biggest way to unite, but curtailing it dealt a blow to Jammu and Kashmir’s unity,” he said.

Taking a veiled dig at the BJP, Omar said some people tried to create division to derive political gains, but his government aimed to mend the rift.

Deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary, who is from Jammu, said the revival of the tradition was a reply to the BJP’s accusation that the NC was “anti-Jammu”.

The BJP leadership in Jammu was tight-lipped about the development, but a party spokesman in Srinagar said the real credit for the revival of the Darbar Move should go to the LG, who cleared the government’s file to restart the practice.

Omar took credit for fulfilling a key electoral promise. He said a committee headed by an additional secretary has been formed to arrange accommodation for thousands of employees who shuttle between Srinagar and Jammu every six months.

At the civil secretariat, Omar received a guard of honour and chaired a high-level meeting with the council of ministers and administrative secretaries.