Rameshwar Singh Jamwal
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has committed to restore the earlier practice of Darbar Move, stopped with much fanfare by the earlier LG Administration on the ground that it was a burden of almost 200 crores on Government exchequer, which a poor UT like J&K could ill afford. This important step, showing a total reversal of the earlier decision was announced in a meeting of some so called citizens groups, called by him, in order to make ground for such a decision, as if it was demand of the entire Jammu region. It is another matter that a motley group of traders from Raghunath Bazar, Residency Road, Kanak Mandi or some hoteliers in Jammu city are behind such a demand, with nobody representing any major political party or social group in favour of making such a demand. Their demand, for such reversion to the abandoned practice is not because of any political thought process or future vision but purely for commercial angle, as they view the Darbar move employees as spendthrifts, who do not bother loosening their purse strings while making purchases, without bothering as to from where that money is coming. Nobody is discussing that the practice was started more than a hundred years ago to take the administration to the people of Kashmir and Ladakh, inaccessible areas in those times, when there were hardly any tools of communication or overseeing the actual implementation of Government schemes. The same is not the situation now, in this age of internet revolution.
Earlier, justifications were offered by some leaders of National Conference that while stopping this practice, the earlier LG Administration had not bothered about the adverse economic impact it would have on Jammu’s economy, without spelling as to why they were not mentioning its adverse impact on Kashmir’s economy, because they know that people from Jammu region constituted a fraction of employees in the civil Secretariat, which number had started increasing after the practice was stopped and they are hardly expected to help in boosting Kashmir’s economy.
The brusque decision to stop Darbar move, could not have been taken without the approval of Ministry of Home Affairs, as it was monitoring any major policy decision, which in fact it was, as a practice in vogue for more than a century was being discarded. Such behind the scene thinking cannot be divulged on public platforms, but the mere fact that there are chances of the practice having been used or may be misused in future by some elements, having some other designs, cannot be ruled out.
The second, important aspect, the proper utilization of funds for other development activities, aimed at ameliorating the lot of suffering masses from both regions, has not been taken into account, while announcing this major shift in priorities before the new government. The government of J&K has not specified as to from where this 200 crores would come, if the practice is restarted. Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister from Jammu region was made to make such an announcement but when the Chief Minister realized that there was no significant opposition for the move, he himself devised a strategy by organizing the meet of these Citizen groups. Many in the young generation may have forgotten the Darbar move agitation of 1987, led by J&K High Court Bar Association, when Srinagar was attempted to be made capital but it was projected as a similar type of arrangement, as is existing today. The earlier attempt was made by the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah but had to be abandoned under intense pressure and public outrage and then the pressure applied by then Central Government. Then why the change of heart at this juncture. Now, nobody can conceive of such a move, when BJP has substantial number of MLA’s and is ruling the Centre as well. Those were the times, when the internet revolution had not taken place, the e-governance practice was not there and all record and files had to be taken manually but now we can think of such practice as a practical solution as everything can be monitored online and there is hardly any need for Darbar move, except some hidden agenda. And this practice will not improve the good governance model, as almost for thirty days, there is no work in Secretariat when files are being packed or being opened.
Now that BJP is the main opposition party and a lot of their support base comes from the areas of Kanak Mandi and Raghunath Bazar and trader organizations, they are afraid to oppose the retrograde step, but if the Central leadership of the party decides to oppose it, only then we can see some opposition to this step of the Omar Abdullah led government which will also indicate his resolve to take LG Administration headon, on many other policy decisions, which may have been in national interest but conceived as hitting the support base of the ruling party. The move of the Central Government and UT BJP leadership on this crucial step will be an indicator for the futuristic developments, and many fireworks are expected in the coming months, if not years, for all Kashmir watchers.
(The author is a practicing Advocate)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
