Tribal titan Shibu Soren: A legacy of power, struggles and controversies
The death of 81-year-old Soren marks the end of a political era that saw tribal movement rise to national prominence.
Born on January 11, 1944, in Ramgarh district's Nemra village (then in Bihar, now in Jharkhand), Soren, who was popularly known as 'Dishom Guru' (leader of the land) and patriarch of JMM, is one of the most enduring political figures in the country's tribal and regional political landscape.
His political life was defined by continuous advocacy for the rights for tribals.
According to Soren's family, his early life was marked by personal tragedy and deep socio-economic struggles.
Soren was 15 years old when his father, Shobaran Soren, was allegedly killed by moneylenders in Lukaiyatand forest, some 16 km from Gola block headquarters on November 27, 1957.
This left a deep impact on him and became a catalyst for his future political activism.
In 1973, Soren co-founded the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) along with Bengali Marxist trade unionist AK Roy and Kurmi-Mahto leader Binod Bihari Mahto during a public meeting at Golf Ground Dhanbad.
The JMM soon became the primary political voice for the demand for a separate tribal state and got support across the Chotanagpur and Santhal Pargana regions.
Soren's grassroots mobilisation against feudal exploitation is said to have shaped him into a tribal icon.
After decades of agitation, steered by him and others, the demand for a separate state was finally fulfilled with the formation of Jharkhand on November 15, 2000.
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Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Shibu Soren, iconic tribal leader who fought for Jharkhand's statehood, passes away at 81
Shibu Soren was among the last surviving leaders who fought for a separate Jharkhand state and ensured that tribals led a life of dignity. He couldn't have imagined a better outcome for the tribal movement which he led from his early days. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the party he founded with his friends Vinod Bihari Mahato and AK Roy in 1973, currently is in power in the state for two consecutive terms with his son Hemant Soren being the chief minister. The state has announced three days mourning for the 81-year-old tribal leader . Born in a farmer's family in 1944, he was the second of four children. His father, Sobaran Soren, was a teacher who participated in the freedom movement. In 1957, his father was murdered and that changed his life. Soren started galvanising tribals and creating awareness among them against the money lenders who used to charge enormously high interest rates from tribal farmers. The money lenders would finally take control of the tribal land because of high interest rates. His campaign started gaining strength and became a movement for a separate state of Jharkhand for tribals. This is one of the reasons his party JMM still has strong support among the tribal community across the state. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Shibu Soren's political career was a mix of success and controversies. He became Lok Sabha MP for a record eight times and was a four-time Rajya Sabha member, including the current term. In 1993, he was one of the four JMM MPs who was accused of taking a bribe for voting in favour of the government on a no-confidence motion. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court in 1998. In 2004, he became the union coal minister in the UPA government. But, he had to resign and surrender after an arrest warrant was issued in the 1975 Chirudih massacre case, in which he was named the main accused in the killing of 11 people. He finally got acquitted in the case in March 2008. After getting bail, he was inducted into the central cabinet only to resign later to become the CM of Jharkhand in 2005. However, the tenure lasted 10 days as the government couldn't prove a vote of confidence. He became a union minister again only to resign after 10 months after getting convicted in another murder case of his private secretary Shashi Nath Jha in Delhi. He got acquitted in the case. In 2008, he became the Jharkhand CM for the second time. He contested the by election from Tamar to become an MLA but lost. He had to resign again as CM. He became CM again in December 2008 and resigned in May 2009. In 2019, he lost the Lok Sabha election from Dumka. In April 2025, he passed the JMM presidency to his son, Hemant Soren, the current Jharkhand CM. Despite controversies, Soren remained an icon for the tribal and poor communities of the state. Live Events
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
With heavy heart, Nemra readies to receive Guruji, one last time
Nemra/Ramgarh: The district administration began preparing for the cremation of former chief minister Shibu Soren on a war-footing on Monday as grief hung heavy over Nemra, his native village. With VIPs set to arrive this tiny hamlet on Tuesday to attend Shibu's last rites, deputy commissioner Faiz Aq Ahmad Mumtaz and SP Ajay Kumar oversaw preparations which included vehicle movement, VIP parking, drinking water, sanitation, security, and law and order. Fresh layers of bitumen were laid on the road connecting Gola to Barlanga on war-footing. Last rites of the 81-year-old former CM is expected to be held in the village in the evening after his mortal remains are brought here by road from Ranchi. Shibu's two storey home, which towers over other houses in the village, stood in silence as locals gathered around it with teary eyes to grief the passing of their guardian. Inside the house, a teary-eyed Veena Soren, the aunt of CM Hemant Soren, sat in silence with her daughter Khushboo. "He was the father of the village. The village has lost its guardian," Surju Soren, a 65-year-old farmer and a resident of the village, said. Parameshwar Oraon, another farmer, said, Shibu brought clean drinking water, electricity, a health centre, improved road connectivity to the hamlet which is dominated by the Santals. He had last visited the village to attend the last rites of his brother Raja Ram Soren in May last year. "He never missed the function which is held annually in Lukiyatand to mark the death of his father Sobhran Majhi in November. However, he missed it last year due to ill-health," another local said. Binod Kiska, JMM president, expressed the collective sorrow of the community, stating, "Jharkhand has lost a gem of dreams and hopes with the demise of Dishom Guru, who fought for and achieved the separate state of Jharkhand." He added that in this moment of profound loss, the entire Nemra stands united in their grief.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Teenage rebel who sowed the seeds for statehood movement
Ramgarh/Dhanbad: The journey of Shibu Soren from a rebel teenager to 'Guruji' began at a tender age of 13, when he swore to fight economic oppression which plagued the tribal communities of the then unified Bihar for generations, following the death of his father. Shibu's fight against the moneylenders, who murdered his father Sobhran Manjhi, eventually gave birth to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The party would then go on to dominate the political landscape of the region Eventually, Shibu would become synonymous with the outfit itself. JMM, formed on February 4, 1973, would then set the foundation for a much larger struggle – the demand for a separate state. Social reformer and educationist Binod Bihari Mahto, along with trade union leader A K Roy, joined hands with Soren to give this movement a broader political shape. Alarmed by Shibu's growing popularity and influence, then Bihar govt led by CM Jagannath Mishra invoked MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) to arrest him but failed. JMM central committee member Fagu Besra said, "Shibu gave up studies after his father's murder in 1967 and took up the tradition weapons of tribal people, the bow and arrow, to fight the atrocities against the community. Later, bow and arrow went on to become JMM's party symbol. "Shibu started the "Dhaan Kato" (reap paddy) agitation as agricultural lands of Santhals were forcibly occupied by moneylenders after trapping them with lending money. Lands were forcibly captured, and poor Santhals were forced to work on their own land as labourers," Besra said. He added that the local administration banned "Dhaan Kato" agitation and warned Shibu to surrender but he didn't budge. "They issued orders to catch Shibu alive or dead, and the police started a massive search operation but failed to locate his whereabouts," he recalled, adding that Shibu hid in caves of Parasnath hills in Giridih district spending nights in caves and forests. Shibu came in touch with Roy and Mahto in 1970s and formed Sonat Santhal Samaj. Mahto, who was running one Shivani Samaj along with Roy, merged their outfits to form Jharkhand Liberation Front. While Mahto became its president, Shibu was its general secretary. "However, a dispute among the three friends began over the issue of Lalkhand and Jharkhand. Mahto and Roy wanted to struggle for Lalkhand, while Shibu Soren wanted to carry on the agitation for Jharkhand, saying that Jharkhand is green and would not agree to convert green into red," Besra, who conducted three decades of research on the life and struggle of Shibu, said. "Jharkhand Liberation Front was later translated into Hindi, and the new outfit was named Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. Nirmal Mahto was made president, and Shibu became general secretary. Shibu became JMM president in a historic golf ground meeting in 1973 in Dhanbad," he added. Recalling the dramatic events of the first foundation day of JMM on February 4, 1974, Khedan Mahto, a close associate of Shibu said, "We were celebrating the JMM foundation at Golf Ground (now Shahid Randhir Verma Stadium). Police forces surrounded the ground to arrest Guruji as he arrived, but suddenly he appeared on stage, surprising his supporters and leaving the administration stunned." Following this, then Dhanbad deputy commissioner K B Saxena reached out to Soren for dialogue. A meeting was secretly arranged in the jungles of Palma, where Shibu had took shelter. "Guruji presented the plight of the tribal people so convincingly that DC Saxena took the matter to the chief minister's office," said Mahto. This intervention led to the allocation of land to villagers in Tundi, allowing them to start agricultural work and reclaim their dignity. Around the same time, Shibu established a haven called 'Shibu Ashram' in Tundi block, which still stands as a symbol of his early struggle and compassion for displaced villagers. In 1980, despite having a warrant issued against him, Shibu was elected to the Lok Sabha from Dumka, proving his unmatched popularity among tribal masses. Senior JMM leader Kansari Mandal said, "From a lone protester to the founding fathers of the Jharkhand movement, Shibu Soren's legacy as 'Guruji' continues to inspire generations in the region."
