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News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Shibu Soren's Broken Legacy: How 'Jamai Tolas' Now Pose Existential Threat To Tribals
The illegal influx of Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims is wrecking Jharkhand's demography, gobbling up the same tribal land that Soren once fought to protect Once upon a time, freedom hero Bhagwan Birsa Munda's fiery slogan 'abua dishom, abua raj" (our land, our rule), used against colonial British rule, fired up Jharkhand's tribal politics of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. Shibu Soren, then a young man with a flowing, sadhu-like beard, led movements like Dhan Katni to reclaim adivasi land from moneylenders. Soren was Dishom Guru, or Guide of the Land, for Santhals and other local tribes. He was not just a politician. For Jharkhand's tribal population, Soren was a revolutionary, a guru, and almost like a spiritual guide. He was the embodiment of their identity and aspirations, defender of their rights. A man who had no qualms about having the local drink, Haria, with his people, even as a chief minister or union minister, so deep was his connect. But when Soren passed away last week at 81, he left a legacy for Jharkhand, and especially its tribals, which is far from perfect. In fact, despite his redoubtable positive contributions, he has left an existential threat looming over his state and its people. The illegal influx of Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims is wrecking Jharkhand's demography, gobbling up the same tribal land that Soren once fought to protect. In spite of being in power for a couple of decades, he and his son (current CM Hemant Soren) ignored the dangerous demographic takeover for narrow political gains. As a result, an affidavit filed by the Centre in the Jharkhand High Court showed a 16 per cent decline in the tribal population of Santhal Pargana, or the tribal belt. The tribal population slipped from 44 per cent in 1951 to 28 per cent in 2011. Simultaneously, there has been a significant increase in the Muslim population (by an estimated 20-40 per cent) and a staggering 6,000-fold rise in the Christian population across six districts, namely Deoghar, Dumka, Sahibganj, Pakur, Godda, and Jamtara. In a report submitted to the union home ministry in September 2024, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) said that Bangladeshi infiltration was playing havoc with the demography of Jharkhand's Santhal Pargana. A division bench of the Jharkhand High Court, hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Danish Daniel on illegal immigration, directed the Hemant Soren government to check the land records and domicile credentials before issuing identity documents like Aadhaar card, voter's ID, and ration card to people. The court directed the Hemant Soren government to identify illegal immigrants. The demographic change in the tribal areas has been systematic. Illegals enter from Bangladesh through West Bengal, initially working as labourers. These illegal immigrants, mostly males, come and settle on the periphery of a tribal village. They soon establish relations with tribal women, marry them, and settle more permanently as 'jamai" or sons-in-law. They illegally squat on both tribal and government land. They then bring in more illegals till the demography begins to change. These colonies, or 'jamai tolas", keep growing. The hills that traditionally belong to the Paharias and the plains to the Santhals keep shrinking for the very people they provided for and protected for centuries. Crime and conversions grow, according to police reports. Shibu Soren presided over this degenerative process. His son Hemant is in denial. But at some point, the tribal voice will be loud enough to force the CM to heed. But perhaps it will be too late to fix Shibu Soren's broken legacy. view comments First Published: August 08, 2025, 21:49 IST News opinion Opinion | Shibu Soren's Broken Legacy: How 'Jamai Tolas' Now Pose Existential Threat To Tribals Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
05-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Shibu Soren and the soil-soaked struggle for self-rule
NEW DELHI: Shibu Soren was an avatar to the Santhals of the Chhotanagpur plateau of the undivided Bihar. They called him Dishom Guru — the god of all 10 directions. In his younger days, his black locks, flowing beard and chiselled features mesmerised the tribals as much as they frustrated the Bihar Police, as he led a movement for tribal rights that saw a separate tribal state of Jharkhand carved from Bihar in his lifetime. At 81, Soren breathed his last in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the national capital from kidney complications on Monday. Called Guruji by now, he became chief minister thrice, never able to complete a full term as politics or police cases disrupted his reign. He even went to Delhi as minister at the Centre, but as the years dragged on, and the health taking its toll, he hung up his boots and, succumbing to dynasty politics, handed over control of the party he co-founded, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), to his son, Hemant. The younger Soren is the current chief minister of a coalition with the Congress. Shibu Soren's legacy is inseparable from the struggle for tribal rights in undivided Bihar. A Santhal, he grew up in an oppressive environment where politicians, landlords and usurers milked tribals of their dignity and displaced them from their hereditary forest dwellings, reducing them to literal slavery. The angry young man decided to rebel and become the prophet of tribal identity. His target was the 'diku', an outsider in the tribal language. That could mean any of the many oppressors. His demand was for 'jal, jungle, zameen', water, forest, land, which the tribals considered their god-given resources.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
TRIBAL MESSIAH WITH ‘MAGICAL' POWERS
1 2 Among tribal people, mainly Santhals, he was a cult figure with 'magical' powers. During the 70s, when tribals were subjected to ruthless exploitation by greedy moneylenders and landlords, he emerged like a messiah for them. He started attacking moneylenders and forcibly started harvesting crops on lands of tribals usurped by "Dikus (outsiders)". The saviour of tribals made them realize that their exploiters were not invincible. The Shibu juggernaut rolled on in Jharkhand and the tribals started believing that their saviour had some supernatural powers and was omnipresent. "Guruji is addressing a rally in Dumka today and he is also addressing rallies at Palajori, Kathikund, Litti Para and other places at the same time... Santhals from rural areas used to say during Jharkhand Diwas rallies on February 2 in Dumka way back in 70s and early 80s. He used to start his address around 7-8pm and continued it till the wee hours of the morning. The tribals listened to his fiery speeches throughout the night," Godai Swarnkar, an old-timer, said. Guruji, as JMM supremo Shibu Soren is affectionately called, had acquired an image like Phantom, the ghost who walks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Best SIP Plans for NRIs in Netherlands – Get ₹2L Monthly Pension | Invest ₹18K PB Learn More Undo He had himself admitted this once while talking to this reporter. "During my fight against moneylenders, several cases were lodged against me and police had launched massive hunt for me. Suraj and I used to hide in remote villages. I had a motorcycle then and Suraj was my constant companion. When we used to enter villages in the dead of night, people used to think two ghosts had arrived," he had said. He later gifted the bike to his secretay Vinod Pandey. However, he retained his jeep he had used during Jharkhand movement. Suraj Mandal. then a JMM leader who later became a JMM MP, was Shibu's right-hand man during those days. Later, he parted ways with Shibu and slowly faded into oblivion. Soren's life witnessed vicissitudes of fortunes. JMM bribery case, Shashikant Jha murder case, Chirudih massacre case kept haunting him for a long time. But his popularity among tribals remained undiminished. The tribal hero led a spartan lifestyle. He was a teetotaller and a strict vegetarian. "I love sleeping on the floor," he had once said. When asked how he maintains such a mop of wavy hair and a flowing beard, he had said: "I use 'multani mitti' and you people use shampoo. Here lies the difference." He even suggested this reporter to go to nearby Sainthia in West Bengal. "There is a mound of multani mitti just outside Sainthia. Go and collect it," he had said. Guruji had rustic sense of humour and had once made fun of death also. While going for a chopper ride to Masalia, about 40 km from Dumka, to address a poll rally during 2009 assembly polls, Vinod Pandey had suggested this reporter to accompany Guruji on chopper and interview him. Guruji had jokingly said: "The condition of this chopper is bad and it can crash on the way. I am old now and it doesn't matter if I perish in a crash. He is a young man and he should not take the risk." The autumn of the patriarch began in 1995 when his eldest son Durga Soren won the Jama assembly seat. He started calling the shots within the party. He died in 2009. After Durga's death, his younger brother Hemant Soren took over as the successor of Guruji. This led to family feud as Durga's widow Sita Soren was unhappy with Hemant's move. She later joined BJP, but lost Jama assembly polls to JMM Candidate Lois Marandi in 2024 assembly polls. Guruji slowly started to keep himself out of the limelight. On April 15, 2025, Hemant became party president, replacing Shibu. It can be said to be the end of Shibu era in JMM. But Guruji was and will remain the biggest crowd-puller for JMM in days to come. He did not actively campaigned for the party in 2024 assembly polls, but JMM flags with his familiar face and bow and arrow party symbol, kept fluttering in remote areas of the state. JMM formed government in the state later, reminding people that his charisma remained intact.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How Nemra's Shibu made Santhal Parganas his citadel
Dumka: The news of the death of the JMM patriarch, Shibu Soren, while being admitted at Sir Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi for the last month, cast a pall of gloom over Dumka in particular and the entire Santhal Pargana at large. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The region proved to be his karma bhumi, having accorded him the status of a towering figure of the tribal society at the national level. Transformed from Shivcharan Marandi (his former name) to Shibu Soren after jointly forming the JMM along with A K Rai and Vinod Bihari Mahto, the separation of Jharkhand from the erstwhile undivided Bihar was its ultimate political objective. His further transformation to be the Dishom Guru (mentor of the tribals across the country) took place in Santhal Pargana, which emerged as the epicentre of the statehood movement that he led for over three decades by mobilising the local tribal community and other native residents. "We learnt about someone called Shibu Soren becoming popular among the tribals and other marginalised communities in terms of raising their voices against exploitation. It was then that we called on him at Tundi in Dhanbad to request him to come to Santhal Pargana in the late seventies to guide the community members against the oppressive practice of money lending and grabbing of tribal lands," veteran JMM leader, the late Simon Marandi, had once said. Due to his charismatic leadership quality, Shibu soon became an iconic figure among the local tribals, particularly Santhals, resisting the administrative arrangements against the proposed meetings elsewhere to undo the same. "It was by then that the slogan 'Kaisi lenge Jharkhand, lad ke lenge Jharkhand' (How to get Jharkhand, to get it by fighting) was coined," recalled Jitendra Singh, a JMM revolutionary. "It was due to Guruji's inclusive philosophy that even the non-tribal populace of Santhal Pargana started admiring him," said Jitendra, now in his late fifties. Shibu was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Dumka. He represented this seat in 1989, 1991, 1996, 2004, and 2014 general elections, apart from serving as chief minister of Jharkhand three times.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Politics
- 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."
