‘Darbar Move’: Make it Festival of Governance

Money spent on it is not expenditure, it’s investment. Preserve, protect & promote it to maintain the regional diversities

Sajjad Bazaz

Month of October has got a unique significance for a region like Jammu and Kashmir. It has a sort of spiritual significance, a socio-economic angle and, of course, a political angle. However, let’s not get locked into the political angle of this month, except revisiting some ‘spiritual’ threads which political captains derived out of this month (October), especially when Chinar leaves with changed colour cause the rustling sound and breaking the silence.

For example, ‘Sher-i-Kashmir’ Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah came out with his autobiography ‘Aatish-i-Chinar’ (‘Flame of Chinar’). Indira Gandhi, former Indian Prime Minister, never used to miss her visit to Kashmir in October to taste the fascination of the Chinar trees. She was assassinated the same month but not before visiting Kashmir the same month in 1984.

Notably, psychiatrists believe that the falling Chinar leaves with changed colour unleashing mystique rustling musical tones help to fight the seasonal depression and motivate the people around to undertake pleasurable activities. It makes a sense here to reproduce Sir Muhammad Iqbal’s famous couplet: ‘ Jis khaak ke zameer me hai aatish-e-chinar, Mumkin nahi ki sard ho woh khaak-e-arjumand (The dust that carries in its conscience the fire of the Chinar, It is impossible for that celestial dust to cool down).

Anyways, these things apart, one of the most outstanding events happening in this month was the more than 150-year-old practice of ‘Darbar Move’ when frontline government machinery used to move to winter capital Jammu to run the affairs of the government. Point to be noted – ours is the only state in India which has two capitals, Srinagar & Jammu and accordingly under the banner of ‘Darbar Move’ government offices of all departments used to be shifted bi-annually, till the practice was stopped by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s government on June 20, 2021 and had stated the by abolishing the Darbar Move practice government would save Rs 200 crore per year.

Here it makes sense to reproduce a data obtained through RTI showing expenditure on ‘Darbar Move’. The Darbar Move expenditure borne by the J&K government in 2011 was Rs 72.5 crore, in 2012 Rs 82.22 crore, in 2013 Rs 192.39 crore, in 2014 Rs 181.72 crore, in 2015 Rs 165.06 crore, in 2016 Rs 179.7 crore, in 2017 Rs 160 crore, in 2018 Rs 191.19 crore, in 2019 Rs 215.19 crore, and in 2020 Rs 146.64 crore.

Notably, the practice was facing sharp criticism from different quarters for the kind of ‘spendthrift’ it involved in shifting the government secretariat from one state capital to another. Even Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister in 2012 had called the ‘Darbar Move’ as ‘a waste of money’. Earlier his father Dr. Farooq Abdullah in 1987 as Chief Minister had ordered an end to the ‘Move’ and declared the secretariat to be permanently located at Srinagar. The decision was vehemently opposed and within a month’s time, Dr Farooq had to roll back his decision.

However, LG Sinha’s move to end the ‘Darbar’, despite facing flak, survived over four years and ultimately he had to order its restoration after the elected government recommended its revival!

Why is ‘Darbar’ so sacred to J&K?

Basically, the two regions of Kashmir and Jammu are greatly diverse. Neither Kashmiris nor Jammuites would want to surrender the capital. However, over a period of time, forces opposing the practice have unwittingly contributed only to make the ‘Darbar Move’ as an important tool to maintain the harmony and integrity of the region. In fact, it has emerged as a vital bridge unifying the two regions.

So, when we look at this aspect of ‘Darbar Move’ connecting diverse regions of the state, the hue and cry on huge amounts being spent on shuffling the government machinery bi-annually seems vague. In fact every expenditure is not expenditure. So, this is not expenditure but an investment in strengthening the socio-economic and religious diversity of the region. And, I don’t think, this ‘Darbar’ is a curse on our economic landscape.

A form of cultural heritage

It’s to be understood that the cultural heritage of J&K is concerned, it’s totally different from the rest of India for having a varied unique cultural blend, besides being different in geographical, demographical, ethical and social entities. Even as the distinct parts of the region – Jammu and Kashmir, yield diverse religion, language and culture, they constantly interfuse with each other resulting in sparkling specimens of unity in diversity. The various cultural forms like art and architecture, fairs and festivals, rites and rituals, languages and landscapes, reflects uniformity and diversity with matchless cultural symmetry.

To be precise, J&K’s heritage, tangible as well as intangible, is a source of benefit to our local economies, especially when it comes to tourism. Besides, preservation, conservation and protection of cultural heritage garner external investment which can prove a shot in the arm of local economies. So, to capitalize on the benefits of our past to make our present and future prosperous, we need to invest in efforts to protect and safeguard our cultural heritage irrespective of its shape, size and form.

And, the ‘Darbar Move’, which started as a custom in 1872, got embedded as one of the forms of J&K’s cultural heritage.

Festival of ‘Darbar’

In the given circumstances, ‘Darbar Move’ needs to be preserved and strengthened to maintain the regional diversities. Even this is an activity which needs to be promoted through tourism platforms to woo tourists, both domestic and international.

Now the question remains how to do it? Four months in a year (April, May, October & November) can be declared as ‘Darbar’ festival months. For example, in the months of October and November (When Darbar Moves from Srinagar to Jammu) festivals can be planned at both places and the same can be repeated when the Darbar reshuffle back to Srinagar in April and May. Mega tourism festivals all along the national highway at strategic locations like Banihal, Batote, Patnitop Ramban, Udhampur etc. can be organized where arts & crafts, crops, folk music etc can become part of the festival. It would definitely generate life on the otherwise dull highway and also trigger socio-economic activities with a difference.

Even launching a mega sports festival in twin cities on the occasion is not a bad idea. This would help the people to enjoy this bi-annual change rather than psychologically succumbing to it.

In short, let’s capitalize on the culture of ‘Darbar Move’. Transform it into a vital economic activity by bringing it on a tourism map. And, last but not the least. Stop calling money spent on ‘Darbar Move’ as expenditure, it’s an investment to protect Jammu & Kashmir’s cultural Heritage. Capitalise on it in brand building, reputation management of the region and deriving economic benefits out of it.

_{(The author is Editor-in-Chief at Straight Talk Communications, He is former Head of Corporate Communication & CSR department and Internal Communications & Knowledge Management Department, J&K Bank)}