FazTimes media: New Delhi/Bokaro— Shibu Soren, a famous tribal leader, founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and three-time Chief Minister of Jharkhand, passed away on Monday morning in Delhi after a long illness. He was 81 years old. His passing signifies the end of a political era deeply rooted in tribal identity, land rights, and the struggle for a separate Jharkhand state. His son and current Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, shared the news on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in Hindi, writing, “Adarniya Guru Dishom humein chhodkar chale gaye.

Aaj main bilkul akela ho gaya hoon…” (“Respected Guru Dishom has left us. Today, I have become completely alone…”)

Soren had been staying at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi for more than a month due to health issues, including kidney problems and a stroke. The hospital said he passed away at 8:56 a.m. despite being on life support for the past month.

A Son of the Soil: Humble Roots, Fierce Resolve

Shibu Soren was born on January 11, 1944, in Nemra village, which was part of Bihar at that time but is now in Jharkhand. He came from the Santhal tribe, one of the largest and most active tribal communities in India.

Shibu lost his father when he was very young.

His father was killed in a land dispute, and it was believed that moneylenders were responsible. This early experience with injustice deeply affected him and inspired his later work for tribal land rights and against exploitation. At just 18 years old, he started the Santhal Navyuvak Sangh, a group for young people focused on helping tribal communities with education, forest rights, and overall welfare.

The Rise of a Movement: JMM and the Jharkhand Dream

Soren, A. K. Roy, and Binod Bihari Mahato started the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in 1972. K. Roy and Binod Bihari Mahato. The group started out helping tribal people, but it grew into a large political party in eastern India. They wanted to make a new state called Jharkhand out of the southern part of Bihar, which they thought wasn't protecting the tribal communities.

People understood Shibu Soren because he gave powerful speeches, was close to the people, and was determined. In the Santhali language, "Dishom"uru" means "leader of the people." He was responsible for big protests and movements in the 1970s and 1980s. During many of these heated events, people called for better land laws, rights to forests, and an end to unfair advantages.

Al Jazeera says Soren played a key role in the movement for Jharkhand statehood. His constant efforts kept the movement going for almost thirty years, and finally, Jharkhand was created on November 15, 2000.

Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times, representing areas that are mainly home to tribal communities, such as Dumka and Jamtara. He also served two terms in the Rajya Sabha, and the second term was still going on when he passed away.

He was the Chief Minister of Jharkhand three times—once in 2005 and then again from 2008 to 2009, and again from 2009 to 2010. Each time, his government faced many problems, including political conflicts, broken alliances, and disagreements over leadership.

In 2004, he briefly worked as the Union Minister for Coal in the UPA government. But he had to leave his post after being involved in a legal case connected to the 1975 Chirudih massacre. Despite his eventual acquittal of any wrongdoing, this event profoundly impacted his career.

Shibu Soren's career had its share of controversy. During his time in politics, he faced many accusations, including claims of corruption and criminal charges. However, even with these problems, he remained very popular among the Adivasi people.

Ramesh Hembrom, a JMM party worker in Dumka, said, "Guruji was more than just a leader; he was a symbol."

"People paid attention to him not because he was powerful, but because he understood what we were going through."

Shibu Soren was well-liked because he could speak the local languages, was humble, and was close to tribal customs. “Shibu Soren gave a voice to people who were never heard,” said Dr. Anamika Jha, a political analyst at Ranchi University. “Though he was considered controversial in national media, in Jharkhand, he was more than just a leader—he was a legend.”

Shibu Soren's death happened when his son, Hemant Soren, was the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, keeping the family's political tradition alive. S.K. Das, a senior journalist from The Telegraph, said, "The JMM now has to choose between continuing Guruji’s work with ordinary people or changing to fit new political times."

People from different political parties are expressing sadness over the death of Shibu Soren. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his regrets, saying Soren was “a great leader who helped tribal communities for many years.”

The leader of the Congress party, Mallikarjun Kharge, called Soren’s death “a big loss for Indian democracy.” Leaders from West Bengal, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh—states where many tribal people live—also honored Soren.

The body of Shibu Soren will be flown to Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, where a state funeral will be held with all the right honors. His body will be placed in the Jharkhand Assembly building for people to come and honor him before it is taken to his village in Nemra for the last rites. The government of Jharkhand has announced three days of mourning, during which national flags will be flown at half-mast at all government buildings across the state.

In Conclusion: A Life Beyond Politics

The death of Shibu Soren is more than the loss of a political leader; it marks the end of a time when tribal identity was at the center of the country's attention. Shibu Soren was more than just a politician for the tribal communities of Jharkhand.

He was their "Guruji," which means teacher, guide, and defender of their rights. The funeral pyre in Nemra does more than end a life. It has the spirit of a movement that changed how people think about and shape Indian politics forever.

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