Jammu Protests: CPI(M) Demands Restoration of Darbar Move and Statehood

The CPI(M) staged a protest in Jammu demanding the revival of the biannual Darbar Move and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. Demonstrators accused the BJP of halting the traditional practice and called for the reinstatement of exclusive land and job rights for locals. This follows the UT's shift to a year-round e-office system.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), took to the streets of Jammu on Monday, calling for the restoration of the Darbar Move tradition and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. Protesters brandished placards and chanted slogans demanding these changes as they lamented the decision to downgrade the state to a Union Territory.

Initiated in 1872 under Maharaja Ranbir Singh, the Darbar Move saw the biannual relocation of the state secretariat between summer and winter capitals, Srinagar and Jammu. However, the practice ceased in 2020 with the administration's shift to a permanent e-office system, maintaining government operations year-round in both cities.

The protesters criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for intervening in the region's special status and urged the central government to reinstate traditional practices and privileges for local residents. The shift has drawn mixed reactions amid debates over economic efficiency and regional integration.

(With inputs from agencies.)