Shibu Soren cremated at native village Nemra

The Hindu

10 hours ago

The mortal remains of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren were consigned to flames by his elder son and Chief Minister Hemant Soren at their native village Nemra in Ramgarh district.
People from near and far thronged the village to catch a last glimpse of the leader, who was fondly known as 'Dishom Guru' by the masses. His body was laid on a flower-decked charpoy at his ancestral home in the village, in adherence to full tribal customs. Near and dear ones queued up to offer shrouds, chadar, shawls, and bouquets.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi also travelled to the village to attend the funeral of the veteran tribal leader.
As the body was carried to the village, supporters and local residents lined both sides of the road in Ranchi to pay their last respects. Slogans of 'Guruji amar rahe [long live Guruji]' were raised by mourners.
The mortal remains of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) co-founder Shibu Soren were also kept in the Jharkhand Assembly, where Governor Santosh Gangwar and Speaker Rabindranath Mahato paid tributes.
Union Ministers Jual Oram, Annapurna Devi and Sanjay Seth paid homage at the Assembly complex. State ministers Irfan Ansari, Dipika Pandey Singh, Shilpi Neha Tirkey and several legislators, cutting across party lines, also offered tributes.
Bihar's Purnia Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who paid homage, demanded that the Bharat Ratna be conferred on Shibu Soren in recognition of his contribution to the upliftment of tribal communities.
Earlier in the day, Hemant Soren shared an emotional tribute to his father, who passed away in Delhi on Monday (August 4, 2025), through a message on social media platform X.
In a post on X, Mr. Soren said he was going through the toughest days of his life as he had lost not only his father but also a pillar of Jharkhand's soul.
'I didn't just call him 'Baba'. He was my guide, the root of my thoughts, and that forest-like shade that protected thousands and lakhs of Jharkhandis from the scorching sun and injustice,' Mr. Soren said.
The 81-year-old former Union Minister had passed away at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for kidney-related issues for over a month.
Mr. Soren further said that his father's beginnings, whom he called 'Baba', were very humble.
'Born in that small house in Nemra village, where there was poverty, there was hunger, but there was courage. In his childhood, he lost his father. The exploitation of the landlords gave him a fire that made him a fighter for his entire life. I have seen him ploughing the fields, sitting among the people, not just giving speeches, but living the sorrows of the people,' Mr. Soren said in the post.
He added, 'In my childhood, when I asked him: 'Baba, why do people call you Dishom Guru?' He would smile and say: 'Because, son, I only understood their pain and made their fight my own'. That title was not written in any book, nor was it given by Parliament — it came from the hearts of Jharkhand's people. 'Dishom' means society, 'Guru' means the one who shows the way.'
Shibu Soren had played a key role in the creation of the separate State of Jharkhand.
Mr. Soren noted that his father not only showed the way, but also taught how to walk. He recalled that he had always seen him struggling and taking on the mightiest.
'I was scared, but Baba was never afraid. He would say: 'If standing against injustice is a crime, then I will be guilty again and again.' No book can explain Baba's struggle. It was in his sweat, in his voice, and in the cracked heels covered by his sandals. When Jharkhand became a State, his dream came true, but he never considered power an achievement,' Mr. Soren said.
He asserted that Jharkhand was not a throne for his father, but the identity of his people.
'Today, Baba is no longer here, but his voice echoes within me. I learned to fight from you, Baba, not to bow down. I learned to love Jharkhand from you without any selfishness. Now you are not among us, but you are in every path of Jharkhand. The dream you saw is now my promise. I will not let Jharkhand bow down; I will not let your name fade away. Your struggle will not remain incomplete,' Mr. Soren said.
On Monday, leaders cutting across party lines paid tribute to Shibu Soren. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge visited Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and paid tributes to the veteran tribal leader.
'Baba, now you rest. You have fulfilled your duty, now we must walk in your footsteps. Jharkhand will remain indebted to you. I, your son, will keep your promise. Long live Veer Shibu - Long live, long live! May Dishom Guru remain immortal. Hail Jharkhand,' Mr. Soren said at the end of the message.