SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s tableau at this year’s Republic Day celebrations, highlighting the region’s handicrafts, folk dances, and iconic houseboats along Kartavya Path, has drawn criticism from BJP leaders and Jammu residents for sidelining Jammu’s cultural identity.
The tableau, themed “Handicrafts and Folk Dances of J&K,” showcased Kashmir’s artistic legacy with a houseboat setting, intricately engraved Samavaars (traditional Kashmiri kettles), Kani shawls, hand-knotted carpets, carved walnut-wood artefacts, papier-mâché creations, and Basohli miniature paintings. Folk dancers performed to a musical fusion of rabab, santoor, and flute, accompanied by saffron blossoms symbolising land and labour. The display was conceptualised and designed, by Padma Shri awardee Balwant Thakur, and produced by Natrang Jammu.
Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, a Kashmiri Pandit and J&K BJP leader, objected to the display of Samavaars and houseboats, saying the Samavaar was imported from Central Asia and the houseboats represented European influence during the British Raj. He added that the rabab, a foreign musical instrument, did not fully represent J&K’s classical music and folk traditions. Chrungoo cautioned that such displays, while attractive to tourists, failed to convey the true civilisational message and risked imposing “one region’s pseudo culture” over others, including Dogras and Kashmiri Pandits.
Shivani Vaid, a Jammu-based educationist and TEDx organiser, said Jammu’s rich handicrafts, folk art, history, and traditions had been systematically neglected for decades, and despite covering nearly 60% of J&K’s geographical area, Jammu found no voice in the tableau. Col (retd) Ajay K Raina added that Kashmir was dominating the narrative while Ladakh, Jammu, and the fringes of Kashmir Valley continued to suffer.
Autar Krishan Peshen, a Kashmiri Pandit, criticised the repeated showcasing of houseboats while ancient temples, sacred tirthas, and Sanatan heritage remained underrepresented, stating that the region’s spiritual and civilisational legacy deserved recognition and preservation.
Jammu-based entrepreneur Sahil Verma said the tableau “speaks volumes” about Jammu’s absence, describing it as deliberate neglect of a region that has always stood for inclusiveness and unity. Manu Khajuria called the "token representation of a couple of dancers from Jammu insulting,” while Neeraj Singh Dogra, founder of the Jammu Pradesh Peoples Movement, expressed disappointment at Jammu being completely missed. He warned that Kashmiri politicians had to see beyond Banihal tunnel and that Jammu’s identity must be protected from the Kashmirization and Greater Kashmir narratives, demanding recognition for a separate Jammu Pradesh.
"Sadly Jammu is completely missed in this. Kashmiri Politicians can’t see beyond Banihal tunnel. Jammu has its own identity and that needs to be protected from the Kashmirization and the Greater Kashmir narrative of Pakistani ISI. We want #JammuPradesh (sic),” Singh said in a post on X.