J&K government postpones formal opening of Darbar in Srinagar till June 15

Amid a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases and the extension in the all India lockdown till May 3, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has postponed the formal opening of Darbar in Srinagar till June 15.The Darbar move which was earlier scheduled for May 04 will now take place on 15 June 2020, reads an order issued by the General Administration Department. However, the civil secretariat at Srinagar would start functioning from May 4 partially with the staff/officers on “as is where basis,” it reads. 

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It further reads that such an arrangement will again be reviewed on June 15 “or earlier, when a clear picture on extent and spread of COVID-19 emerges”.The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was the only region in the country that had two capitals, Srinagar and Jammu. Every year, in May and October-November, the capital and secretariat shift from one capital city to the other city to escape the extreme weather conditions in the two regions.The summer capital opens in Srinagar in May and the winter in Jammu in October. The relocation of capital and secretariat from Jammu to Srinagar is called the Darbar Move.

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Dogra ruler Maharaja Ranbir Singh had started the practice of Darbar Move in 1872. It is after his name, Ranbir Penal Code of Jammu and Kashmir was in force in the State which was equivalent to the Indian Penal Code. The Ranbir Penal Code ceases to exist after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
In 1987, former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah tried to stop this practice when he issued orders to keep the secretariat in Srinagar open throughout the year. The decision led to an agitation in Jammu, which was spearheaded by Jammu Bar Association. Later many political parties joined the agitation forcing Farooq Abdullah to withdraw the decision within a month.

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(Image Courtesy: PTI)