Won't Let Jharkhand bow down, your legacy won't fade: Hemant's Note to Guruji
in a note, addressed to his 'baba' on X, vowed not to let his legacy fade.
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Shibu, who died at a hospital in Delhi after battling prolonged illness on Monday, was cremated at his native village, Nemra, in Ramgarh district with full state honours.
"I am going through the toughest days of my life. It's not just the shadow of my father that's gone from over my head, but a pillar of Jharkhand's soul has departed. I didn't just call him 'Baba'; he was my guide, the roots of my thoughts, and a sheltering shadow like a forest that protected thousands of Jharkhandis from the sun and injustice," he wrote.
Recalling his father's humble beginnings in Nemra, where he was born, Hemant described how Shibu battled poverty and hunger but remained courageous. "He lost his father at a young age, and the exploitation by landlords ignited a fire in him that made him resilient throughout his life. I saw him ploughing the fields, sitting among the people. He didn't just give speeches; he lived the people's pain. As a child, when I asked him, 'Baba, why do people call you Dishom Guru?' he would smile and say, 'Because, my son, I understood their pain and made their struggle my own.
That title wasn't written in any book, nor given by any parliament — it emerged from the hearts of the people of Jharkhand,'" Hemant wrote, adding that his "Baba" didn't just show them the path; he taught them how to walk it.
"During my childhood, I only saw him struggle, take on the mighty. I was afraid, but he never was. He used to say, 'If standing against injustice is a crime, then I will be guilty again and again.' No book can understand his struggle.
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It was in his sweat, his voice, and in his cracked heels covered by worn-out slippers. When Jharkhand was formed, his dream was realised, but he never considered power an achievement. I learned to fight from you, Baba.
I learned to love Jharkhand from you, without any selfishness."
"The dream you saw is now my promise. I will not let Jharkhand bow down, nor will I let your name fade. Your struggle will not remain incomplete. You have fulfilled your duty. Now we must walk in your footsteps. Jharkhand will remain indebted to you. I, your son, will uphold your promise. Long live Veer Shibu...," he signed off.
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