Shibu Soren, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Founder and Former CM, Dies at 81
Shibu Soren, a veteran tribal leader, former three-time Chief Minister of Jharkhand, and founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), has died at 81. He passed away in a New Delhi hospital following a prolonged illness. Revered as 'Dishom Guru', Soren was a pivotal figure in the movement for a separate Jharkhand state and served multiple terms as a Member of Parliament. The state government has declared a three-day period of mourning in his honour.
Unpacked:
Shibu Soren co-founded the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the early 1970s and was a leading figure in the movement demanding a separate state for tribal people. His leadership and decades of agitation were pivotal in Jharkhand being carved out of Bihar as a new state on November 15, 2000.
'Dishom Guru,' meaning 'Guru of all ten directions,' was a title conferred on Soren by the Santhal community and others to honor his role as a guide and leader for tribal people. It recognized his status as a revered figure in the tribal rights movement and his commitment to their welfare.
Shibu Soren's career was marred by legal troubles, most notably his arrest in 2004 in connection with the 1975 Chirudih massacre case, where he was accused of involvement in the killing of 11 people. He was granted bail and later acquitted in 2008, but these events affected his ministerial tenures.
Beyond Jharkhand, Soren served multiple terms as a Member of Parliament for Dumka and was Union Coal Minister in the UPA government between 2004 and 2006. His national presence helped bring tribal issues to the forefront of Indian politics, though his central roles were sometimes limited by legal and coalition challenges.