Hibu Soren- the famous figure of tribal leaders and the founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has passed away at the age of 81 and it drew an end to his long battle with the sickness. In the previous months, before his death, he stayed at Sri Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi on life support machinery after suffering a stroke approximately six weeks prior to dying. Hemant Soren, the present Chief Minister of Jharkhand, posted a heartbreaking update on social media to confirm the news that his father had passed away. While writing about this loss, he wrote that the loss of his father hurt everyone in the Soren family.
Premature Activism and Representation of the Oppressed
Soren was born on 11 January 1944 in the village of Nemra now in Ramgarh district, Jharkhand. His participation in politics was as a result of his care of tribal rights and his fight against the earlier system of moneylending that gave very little to the farmers and a lot to the lenders. His stand against that injustice took him to become a chief amongst the tribal community soon.
The Role in Jharkhand Movement of Statehood
In 1972, he came up with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), together with A.K. Roy and Binod Bihari Mahato. Mahato was the inaugural president of the party, however, when the three leaders went their separate ways, Soren became the leader of the party. During his powerful leadership, the Jharkhand movement became the leading force of the movement towards independence of Jharkhand. Soren was seeking tribal rights and the new state took the centre stage of regional politics and formation of Jharkhand in the year 2000 is one of his best achievements.
Political career and legacy in Jharkhand
Soren also commanded high stature in Indian politics over the years. He contested Lok Sabha elections in 1977 and lost, then he was successful in Dumka seat in 1980. Later on, he served as the Representative of Dumka constituencies eight times and was a member of the Rajya Sabha in 2002 and was the Coal Minister in the UPA government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2004.
He is Chief Minister within Jharkhand on three occasions. In 2005, his initial term ended just after ten days. Soren came back to lead the state again in 2008 and again in 2009 to 2010. The dominance of his party put the Soren family in the epicentre of the Jharkhand politics ever since the birth of the state.
Law Problems and Acquittal
Success in politics, however, was accompanied by controversy in the life of Shibu Soren. He was also guilty in the 1994 murder case of his personal secretary Shashi Nath Jha but was acquitted by Supreme Court in 2018 after a long judicial battle.
The Last Years and Family
After his death, villagers of Dumka escorted the body of Soren through several days back to his home district. He left behind Rupi Soren, his wife, Hemant Soren and Basant Soren, his sons and Anjali Soren, his daughter. His first son Durga Soren died in 2009
The death of Shibu Soren puts closure on the political history of Jharkhand. He embodied not only a political party, but also a centuries-old fight between the rights of tribes and social equality and a recognition of the status of Jharkhand. His legacy will remain to influence new leaders in the state and other parts of the world.
Shrey
Shrey Patel is a committed journalist with practical experience across several offline media organizations. He has been involved in on-the-ground reporting, crafting news features, and engaging interviews, showcasing versatility in covering general news, human-interest stories, and community events. Shrey is known for his clarity in storytelling, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment to delivering factual and engaging journalism.