Shibu Soren united Adivasi voices: Left parties pay tributes to JMM founder
In a letter addressed to Soren's son, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, CPI General Secretary MA Baby said that the JMM founder, known to his lakhs of admirers as Guruji, was a powerful testament to resilience, courage and unwavering commitment to the rights and dignity of the tribal communities of Jharkhand.
"He will always be remembered for his tireless efforts in uniting Adivasi voices and standing at the forefront of the movement for their empowerment and justice. He also stood for the rights of the working class and was associated with the trade union movement," Baby said.
He expressed condolences on behalf of the CPI.
In a post on X, CPI General Secretary D Raja said Shibu Soren was one of the senior-most tribal leaders of the country and a towering figure in the political life of Jharkhand.
"A champion of tribal rights and social justice, he played a key role in shaping the identity of Jharkhand and giving voice to its marginalised people," Raja said.
He said Shibu Soren was a founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, along with CPI leader Binod Bihari Mahto and Marxist leader A.K. Roy, "which became the platform of the tribal struggle for dignity, land and recognition".
"The CPI conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife Roopi Soren, sons Hemant Soren and Basant Soren, daughter Anjali Soren, daughter-in-law Kalpana Soren and to the entire Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leadership, cadre and his well-wishers in this moment of grief," he said.
CPI Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, in a post on X, said, "With the death of Shibu Soren, founder of JMM, former CM of Jharkhand and current MP of Rajya Sabha, we've lost one of the last founding leaders of the Jharkhand movement."
"Tribute to the departed stalwart and deepest condolences to Hemant Soren, and Kalpana Soren," he said.
JMM founder Shibu Soren died on Monday at a hospital in Delhi.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
How Nemra's Shibu made Santhal Parganas his citadel
Dumka: The news of the death of the JMM patriarch, Shibu Soren, while being admitted at Sir Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi for the last month, cast a pall of gloom over Dumka in particular and the entire Santhal Pargana at large. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The region proved to be his karma bhumi, having accorded him the status of a towering figure of the tribal society at the national level. Transformed from Shivcharan Marandi (his former name) to Shibu Soren after jointly forming the JMM along with A K Rai and Vinod Bihari Mahto, the separation of Jharkhand from the erstwhile undivided Bihar was its ultimate political objective. His further transformation to be the Dishom Guru (mentor of the tribals across the country) took place in Santhal Pargana, which emerged as the epicentre of the statehood movement that he led for over three decades by mobilising the local tribal community and other native residents. "We learnt about someone called Shibu Soren becoming popular among the tribals and other marginalised communities in terms of raising their voices against exploitation. It was then that we called on him at Tundi in Dhanbad to request him to come to Santhal Pargana in the late seventies to guide the community members against the oppressive practice of money lending and grabbing of tribal lands," veteran JMM leader, the late Simon Marandi, had once said. Due to his charismatic leadership quality, Shibu soon became an iconic figure among the local tribals, particularly Santhals, resisting the administrative arrangements against the proposed meetings elsewhere to undo the same. "It was by then that the slogan 'Kaisi lenge Jharkhand, lad ke lenge Jharkhand' (How to get Jharkhand, to get it by fighting) was coined," recalled Jitendra Singh, a JMM revolutionary. "It was due to Guruji's inclusive philosophy that even the non-tribal populace of Santhal Pargana started admiring him," said Jitendra, now in his late fifties. Shibu was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Dumka. He represented this seat in 1989, 1991, 1996, 2004, and 2014 general elections, apart from serving as chief minister of Jharkhand three times.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Was drawn to Guruji's fiery speeches: Arjun Munda
Jamshedpur: Prominent politicians from Kolhan on Monday paid rich tributes to Shibu Soren and recalled their first meeting with him. Former CM Arjun Munda , who started his political career with JMM before switching to the BJP, said he was drawn to Shibu in the 1980s. "The charisma of Disom Guru Shibu Soren was like a magnetic pull, which drew me closer to his agitation, against the money lenders and land grabbers, as a schoolboy in the 1980s," he said. Recalling that his family too was a victim of land sharks, Munda, a former Union minister, said a fire was kindled in him as a young boy when he heard about Shibu, a man from Santhal Pargana, who was taking the pain to ensure that adivasi land is not grabbed by crafty money lenders "I physically first saw Guruji during a public rally in Telco area of Jamshedpur, where thousands of Adivasis had gathered to hear their leader, who promised to fight for their rights. I was so motivated by his speech that I decided instantly to join the movement under the leadership of this long hair-bearded man in kurta pajamas, who by that time had become my hero," said Munda. "After joining his movement as a student, I along with many others used to move from village to village in dense forest areas in night, then Chotanagpur of undivided Bihar, to escape the eyes of police and powerful money lenders and apprise the locals of their land rights, along with how to save it from the land sharks. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is AI the secret to mastering a new language faster than ever? See why experts are buzzing. Talkpal AI Undo by Taboola by Taboola Many a times had the opportunity to move on foot for several miles with Guruji in this connection. Several false cases were registered against us in thanas, records of which are still existing," said Munda. He also recalled the infamous Gua massacre of Sept 8, 1980, when 13 innocent tribal agitators fell to the bullets of Bihar Military Police, which became a big turning point of separate Jharkhand state call. "After the Gua incident, it became a do-or-die call for Adivasis under Guruji, for a separate state from Bihar," said Munda. Former Ghatshila MLA Surya Singh Besra, another of Shibu's students, recalled that he was against the tribal people consuming liquor. "Under his guidance and leadership as a student functionary of JMM, I travelled far and wide in rural and forest areas of present Kolhan, to make locals realize how money lenders laid a trap by offering them alcohol in exchange for their land," he said. It was Besra who formed All Jharkhand Students' Union in 1986 under Shibu's directives with an aim to motivate students to join the agitation for a separate state for the tribal communities.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘Turned Adivasi assertion into a political force that birthed state': Shah to Rajnath, Mamata to Stalin — tributes pour in for Soren
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Ministers and other leaders across the political spectrum paid tribute to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha co-founder and former Chief Minister Shibu Soren who died Monday. Shah said in a post on X that Soren 'struggled for decades for the rights and empowerment of the tribal community in Jharkhand'. 'With his simple personality and humble nature, he connected with the masses,' Shah wrote. Singh said Soren was counted among the towering leaders of Jharkhand who struggled throughout their lives for the rights and empowerment of the weaker sections of society, especially the tribal community. 'He always remained connected to the land and the people,' he said. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said Soren's death has brought a chapter of Jharkhand's history to an end. BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Soren's life was dedicated to the well-being of the deprived, tribals, and labourers. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote on a social media post, 'Thiru Shibu Soren's life was defined by relentless resistance against exploitation and an unshakeable commitment to social justice. As one of the key architects of Jharkhand's statehood movement, he transformed decades of Adivasi assertion into a political force that gave birth to a new state.' Telangana Chief Minister and Congress leader Revanth Reddy hailed Soren's struggles for the formation of Jharkhand and his efforts to address the problems of tribals. JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Soren's 'significant contribution to Jharkhand's politics is noteworthy'. 'His passing has caused an irreparable loss not only to Jharkhand but also to the political and social spheres of the entire country,' Kumar wrote. RJD president Lalu Prasad spoke of 'memories of our joint struggles' for achieving 'social justice and empowerment of deprived classes'. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the former Jharkhand chief minister dedicated his life to the upliftment of tribal society. BJD chief and former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, said Soren would be remembered for his dedicated fight for the rights of tribal and marginalised people. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said Soren was a towering figure in Indian politics and a dedicated statesman who served the people with unwavering commitment.
