Ranbir Singh Pathania
Darbar move is a term particular to J & K only, whereby the Civil Secretariat sits for six months at Jammu (winter capital) and for another six months at Srinagar (summer capital). The practice was first started in J&K in 1872 by Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Impressed by the move and his other grandiloquent innovations and reforms, a French historian had called Maharaja ‘a philosopher-king’.
The logic behind is stated in a local dogri ‘Paakh’ (vernacular song) of those times, “For some good to be done, good atmosphere is must.” Anyhow, the considerations might have been geopolitical and strategical too. It sufficed a greater control over the ebullient and turbulent pockets of Kashmir. Another behind-the-scene reason might be over-indulgence of the British in Kashmir. They had stationed an Officer on Special Duty at Kashmir and a Joint Commissioner at Leh.
The arrangement was also helpful in redressing a feeling of neglect in both the regions. In the month of March, April Maharaja would undertake a tour of peripheral areas of winter capital and then move along with Darbar to Srinagar. Similarly in the month of Aug-September there were frequent public durbars in the Valley just preceding move of Darbar to Jammu. This practice of extensive touring at the fag-end of Durbar sittings was healthily emulated by the later two Maharajas and the Prime Minister, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, too, during popular rule in J&K.
The practice continued as unabatedly until an alarm-bell was sounded by the then Prime Minister, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi in 1987 who got stuck up in Kashmir while Darbar was in Jammu. The then chief minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah framed a Committee leading to compilation of a comprehensive report. Nonetheless the proposal could not be properly catapulted and carried to the people. It had to be ultimately dropped like a hot potato in the face of a bitter agitation in the area of Jammu led by the Bar Association Jammu.
This time the Government first deferred the Darbar move due to COVID-19 and fears of community spread in Kashmir.
The matter ultimately landed in J&K High Court leading to passing of a judgment, speaking self of its ideological clarity and practicability. It starts with a question if a cash-starved Union Territory can afford the practice of Darbar Move at an annual expenditure of at least Rs 200 crores. And, ultimately concludes with an advice for “a considered view to be taken.”
One side of the coin remains that it is a white elephant with crores of useless expenditure, wastage of time and security related compulsions too. For a better grounds-level overview of the matter, let us go to statistics. 10,112 Government employees shifted base from Jammu to Srinagar last year. Apart from the expenses borne by the Government, each employee is also entitled to a sum of Rs 25,000 every time the offices shift. This is in addition to the monthly Temporary Move Allowance of Rs 2,000 paid to each ‘move employee’.
While the antidote to the argument remains that both regions having distinct and diverse languages, attires, habits, customs, practice etc. get a chance to come closer as well as an equal feel of governance.
In the given set of circumstances where even the Kashmir based employees are not much happier to come out of their closets and perform duties, one cannot reasonably expect the employees from Jammu and outside J&K to come to Kashmir and perform duties till COVID-19 is brought under control.
It is in this very backdrop that this year, citing “peculiar circumstances arising due to outbreak of Covid- 19 pandemic”, Government has decided against closing any office in Jammu and ordered that move staff would work on “as is where is” basis. It virtually connotes that Kashmir-based employees would have to work from the Srinagar Secretariat while Jammu-based staff from Jammu seat of Secretariat. While Darbar has been ordered to be opened at Srinagar on 6th of July.
Although the order spells out that the arrangement is for this year only due to the ongoing pandemic, it is opined that it could be a trial balloon floated by the government just to test waters on the turbulent wicket of J & K.
Nonetheless, all politics and pit-nicking apart, given the ‘fragile’ situation in Srinagar due to Covid-19, Secretariat should have been ordered to remain closed, for this year.
And for future times, the practicable and plausible way-ahead is that both secretariats, the one at Jammu and other at Srinagar, should be simultaneously made functional. The head of Government as well as administrative heads should make their presence felt at both capitals. And officers at both the Secretariats should be fully empowered and sensitized to finally dispose off the public issues at their respective sittings. And in case administrative approvals or consultations are required by officers sitting in one Secretariat from the administrative head or secretary sitting in another one, resort can be easily made to E-governance techniques.
In order to successfully ride the tiger, we should conceptualize a set-up where we are able to give more teeth to J&K Public Services Guarantee Act – widening its scope by bringing all major departments/agencies within its ambit and making it more efficacious, robust and public friendly.
The second concern should be the ‘digitization of records’ and evolving a ‘paperless secretariat’ with no loads of files to be packed and shelved from one capital to another and further work for actualizing on ground the gospel of ‘file-tracking’ with least loopholes and sidetracks.
As the adage goes, “The churning is always for the nectar to rise.” Let this clash of contradictory viewpoints and regional aspirations culminate into establishment of a set-up which stands and shines as an emulable role model for the rest of the country.
Let the stalemate be transformed into a viable opportunity.
And let there be an end to unwanted Jammu vs Kashmir skirmishes.
The post 5th August scenario has seen people of J & K inching closer to rest of the country. There should not be any room for a gulf or misunderstanding between Jammu and Kashmir.
Let specters of past do not haunt and obsess us, any more.
(The columnist practices law at J&K High Court. He was member of J&K Legislative Assembly)
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