Flower petals greet CM Omar Abdullah as ‘Darbar Move’ returns to Jammu after four years

Amid excitement among the people, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was greeted with a shower of flower petals as he walked about 2 kms through Jammu’s iconic Raghunath Bazar on Monday to the Civil Secretariat, marking the reopening of government offices after the revival of the biannual ‘Darbar Move’. Traders and members of civil society welcomed him warmly at Shahidi Chowk, Residence Road, and Raghunath Bazar.

The warm floral welcome stood in stark contrast to the hostile reception his grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah, faced 49 years ago in 1976, when stones were hurled at him and his deputy, Mirza Afzal Beg, as the offices shifted from Srinagar to Jammu for the first time after he became Chief Minister following the Indira–Sheikh Accord.

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The vibrant welcome to Omar, a first for any head of government during the traditional ‘Darbar Move’, came as the 153-year-old practice started by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1872 was formally restored after a four-year hiatus.

Omar was accompanied by Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary and the president of the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arun Gupta.

The biannual shifting of the Civil Secretariat between Srinagar and Jammu—paused in 2021 by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha- citing logistical and financial reasons- was revived by Omar Abdullah’s government earlier this year as a gesture of administrative continuity and regional balance.

Residents and traders of Raghunath Bazar lined the route, showering petals and greeting the Chief Minister amid tight security. Many described the moment as “historic”, marking not just the reopening of offices but also a revival of a cherished tradition linking the two regions of the erstwhile state. ‘Rangolis’ of flower petals were made outside the Raghunath Temple to greet Omar.

Traders said that their business had suffered due to the halting of the ‘Darbar Move’ and now they hope their losses might be covered.

Talking to mediapersons, Omar said, “This was not just about reopening offices; it symbolised the return of an old tradition and the beginning of a new chapter.”

The Chief Minister said that everything shouldn’t be seen through the prism of money. “The decision to scrap the Darbar Move was based on the grounds of economics, but certain things are above money, for instance, sentiments and unity. To bind Jammu with Kashmir, the Darbar Move was the biggest driving force,” he said.

“Jammu suffered the biggest setback when the Darbar Move practice was discontinued. We have fulfilled the electoral promise of the National Conference to restore the practice. It was our responsibility, and today we have done it. We hope that with the resumption of the Darbar Move, the economy of not only Jammu but the entire J&K will get a boost,” Omar said.

“We have just completed a year in office. Wait for some time; we will deliver on other promises as well,” Omar said.

He said some people always try to create a wedge between Jammu and the Kashmir Valley and rake up ‘Jammu versus Kashmir’ for political advantage. ”We want to address that wedge and remove the distance,” he said.

He was later received with a Guard of Honour at the Civil Secretariat, marking the formal opening of the government’s winter session in the city.

Taking to social media, Omar wrote; “I was humbled to receive a warm and rousing welcome from the people of Jammu as I arrived for the biannual Darbar Move”.

Omar chaired a high-level meeting with the Council of Ministers and Administrative Secretaries to get an update on the functioning of various departments and assess the administrative preparedness following the move.