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Time of India
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Shibu Soren - A champion of tribal rights and architect of Jharkhand politics
1 2 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. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why is everyone rushing to get their hands on this new air cooler? News of the Discovery Undo by Taboola by Taboola 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.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Shibu Soren, 'Dishom Guru', tribal voice and JMM founder, dies at 81
Indian politics lost one of its more prominent tribal faces on Monday with the passing of Shibu Soren — JMM patriarch, three-time ex-CM, and among the spearheads of the decades-long statehood movement that culminated in Jharkhand being carved out of Bihar in 2000. Soren, 81, was being treated for a kidney ailment at Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital since June 16 and had his immediate family, including his eldest son and current Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, by his bedside when he died. With his flowing white beard, forceful oratory and finger on the tribal pulse, Shibu embraced and lived up to the epithet 'Dishom Guru' — Santhali for 'guru of the land' — bestowed on him by legions of adoring followers until the ravages of age slowed him down. PM Modi called him 'a grassroots leader... with unwavering dedication to the people. He was particularly passionate about empowering tribal communities, the poor, and the downtrodden'. Indian politics lost one of its more prominent tribal faces on Monday with the passing of Shibu Soren — JMM patriarch, three-time ex-CM, and among the spearheads of the decades-long statehood movement that culminated in Jharkhand being carved out of Bihar in 2000. Soren, 81, was being treated for a kidney ailment at Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital since June 16 and had his immediate family, including his eldest son and current Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, by his bedside when he died. With his flowing white beard, forceful oratory and finger on the tribal pulse, Shibu embraced and lived up to the epithet 'Dishom Guru' — Santhali for 'guru of the land' — bestowed on him by legions of adoring followers until the ravages of age slowed him down. PM Modi called him 'a grassroots leader... with unwavering dedication to the people. He was particularly passionate about empowering tribal communities, the poor, and the downtrodden'. Father's murder sparked Shibu's war on 'injustice' President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi visited the hospital soon after Hemant Soren announced his father's death around 8am. 'The demise... is a big loss in the space of social justice,' Murmu posted on X. Modi also met Hemant and his MLA wife, Kalpana, before the JMM founder's body was flown to Ranchi. Born on Jan 11, 1944, in Nemra village of undivided Bihar's Hazaribag district, Shibu found his calling as a champion of the underprivileged, especially tribal communities, after his father was allegedly murdered by moneylenders. The tragedy ignited in Shibu, who was 15 at the time, the determination to embark on a lifelong battle against whatever he believed was exploitation or injustice. At 18, he established Santhal Navyuvak Sangh and, in the late 1960s, founded an ashram in Dhanbad's Tundi. By now, his presence was enough to strike fear in moneylenders and landlords accused of exploiting tribals. As his influence grew, especially among the ST and SC communities, Shibu's mission extended to chasing 'dikus' (outsiders) from the tribal heartland. On Jan 23, 1975, he allegedly led a mob of tribals to Chirudih village in Jamtara district, leading to violence in which 11 lives were lost. A murder case was registered in which he was named as an accused, leading him to go underground for a while. A Jamtara district court acquitted him later, citing lack of evidence. In 1972, Shibu joined forces with A K Roy, Binod Bihari Mahato and others to form JMM and become its general secretary. He was ele-cted to Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980 as an Independent candidate from Dumka in Santhal Parganas. In 1986, he became JMM president, a position he held for 39 years until April 15 this year, when son Hemant succeeded him. Shibu contested the Lok Sabha election from Dumka 11 times, winning on eight occasions — in 1980, 1989, 1991, 1996, the 2002 bypoll, 2004, 2009 and 2014. His last electoral loss, in 2019, was to BJP's Sunil Soren. Shibu's first major political setback came when he, along with three other MPs, was charged with accepting bribes to vote in favour of the P V Narasimha Rao-led Congress govt during a trust vote in 1992. The JMM bribery case remains a political hot potato. In 2004, Shibu became coal minister in the then Manmohan Singh govt, only to resign soon after when a warrant linked to the Chirudih killings was issued against him. He rejoined the Union Cabinet in Oct that year, continuing till March 2005. He stepped down to take over as CM of Jharkhand, but failed to prove his majority. Shibu returned to the Union Cabinet in 2006, but the stint didn't last long this time either. In Oct that year, he was convicted and sentenced to life for the murder of 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's three stints as CM were all for less than a year, with the first one in 2005 lasting a mere 10 days. The second term lasted from Aug 27, 2008, to Jan 19, 2009, and the third from Dec 30, 2009, to June 1, 2010. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha and close to RJD president Lalu Prasad, with whom he snapped political ties after the latter opposed the move to create Jharkhand.
