Shibu Soren - A champion of tribal rights and architect of Jharkhand politics
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With the demise of Shibu Soren, affectionately called as "Guruji", India's political landscape has lost one of its most iconic figures.
Soren, 81, died at a New Delhi hospital after battling a kidney ailment for over a month. His son and Jharkhand chief minister
Hemant Soren
and other family members were present by his bedside when the three-time former CM passed away.
Born on January 11, 1944, at Nemra village, then part of undivided Bihar's Hazaribag district, Shibu, also known as "Dishom Guru", dedicated his life championing the rights of the poor and marginalised, particularly the tribal communities of Jharkhand. His entry into politics was marked by a personal tragedy. His father was killed by moneylenders. This incident ignited a lifelong battle against exploitation and injustice.
At 18, he established the Santhal Navyuvak Sangh and, in the late 1960s, founded an ashram in Dhanbad's Tundi.
Shibu became a significant adversary to moneylenders and landlords who exploited the tribals. He addressed various socio-political issues affecting the poor, particularly those from scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, and backward classes. He also opposed "Dikus (outsiders)" and, on January 23, 1975, allegedly led a mob of tribal people to Chirudih village in Jamtara district where 11 people were killed.
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He was made an accused in the case, but was later acquitted by a Jamtara district court due to lack of evidence.
The murder case forced him to go underground for a brief period. He returned to politics, again.
In 1972, Shibu joined forces with A K Roy, Binod Bihari Mahato, and others to form Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, where he served as a general secretary. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980 as an Independent candidate from Dumka constituency in Santhal Parganas.
In 1986, he became JMM president, a position he held for 39 years until April 15, 2025, when he was succeeded by his son, Hemant Soren, the present chief minister of Jharkhand.
Shibu contested the Lok Sabha election from Dumka 11 times, winning eight elections in 1980, 1989, 1991, 1996, the 2002 by-poll, 2004, 2009, and 2014. He lost three times in 1984, 1998, and 2019, the latest to BJP's Sunil Soren.
Before his 1980 Lok Sabha victory, he unsuccessfully ran for the Bihar Vidhan Sabha from Tundi in 1977.
His popularity took a slight hit after he, along with three other MPs, was charged with taking bribes to vote in favour of the Congress govt led by P V Narasimha Rao in 1992, leading to his imprisonment. But he always remained a champion for tribal rights and enjoyed immense popularity.
In 2004, he became the coal minister in the Manmohan Singh govt, but resigned in July the same year after a warrant related to the Chirudih massacre was issued against him.
Shibu rejoined the central cabinet in Oct 2004 but left in March 2005 to become the chief minister of Jharkhand. But he failed to prove his majority in the assembly and had to step down.
He returned to the central cabinet in 2006 but left again in October after being convicted and sentenced to life for murdering his personal secretary, Shashinath Jha.
Delhi high court acquitted him in 2007, and he was also cleared in the Chirudih case for lack of evidence.
Shibu served as the chief minister of Jharkhand three times -- first for 10 days in 2005, second from Aug 27, 2008, to Jan 19, 2009, and third from Dec 30, 2009, to June 1, 2010, during which he served for 153 days before the BJP withdrew support.
A member of the Rajya Sabha, Shibu also played a vital role in the creation of Jharkhand. He broke his political ties with RJD president Lalu Prasad after the latter opposed the move.
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