Darbar returns to Jammu: Omar’s bid to rebalance the regions

THE reopening of the Civil Secretariat in Jammu after a four-year hiatus marks more than the return of an administrative ritual. It signals both an economic revival and a calculated political message. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s decision to restore the age-old Darbar Move fulfils an election promise and seeks to reclaim the idea of balance between the two capitals of Jammu and Kashmir, abruptly disrupted after 2021. For decades, the Darbar Move has symbolised equitable governance. The physical shifting of the seat of power between Srinagar and Jammu was meant to bind the two regions emotionally and politically. While critics have called it an expensive colonial relic, its defenders have viewed it as a bridge of trust between areas long divided by geography and sentiment. Its suspension under the Lt Governor’s administration, after the revocation of Article 370, had deepened Jammu’s sense of alienation and fanned perceptions of centralisation.

Reviving the practice, therefore, carries unmistakable political undertones. For Omar Abdullah, it is a statement of regional assertion, a reminder that governance must not be confined to one valley. It has also revived political competition, with rival parties accusing the National Conference of exploiting symbolism for electoral mileage. Yet, the move has found resonance among Jammu’s traders and employees who see it as both economic relief and restoration of parity.

Still, symbolism alone cannot heal divides. The government must now ensure that equitable development, employment and infrastructure follow this symbolic reconciliation. Reviving the Darbar Move has reopened old doors; making governance truly inclusive will decide whether they lead to a new beginning or another cycle of regional rivalry.