When the news came on the morning of 4 August 2025 that Shibu Soren, the pioneer of the Jharkhand movement, founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and three-time Chief Minister of Jharkhand, was no more, a wave of mourning ran not only across the state but across the country. An era has ended – the era that rose from the forests to the steps of Parliament, which became the voice of the tribal society exploited for centuries, and which did not forget the ground even at the heights of power
Sentinel of the soul of Jharkhand
Shibu Soren’s life was not like a story in a book, but he was a living movement. He was born on 11 January 1944 in Nimgaon in Dumka district of Jharkhand (then Bihar). His father was murdered by moneylenders – and perhaps a revolutionary was born on that day.
To fight poverty, injustice and exploitation, he not only agitated but also founded an organization – Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. He fought for tribal rights on all three fronts – social, political and cultural. Known as ‘Dishom Guru’, Shibu Soren not only gave voice to the tribal community but also got them recognition.
Journey from struggle to power
In the 1970s, when exploitation was at its peak in the tribal areas of Bihar, Shibu Soren started a movement against the moneylender system, land grabbing landlords and corrupt administration. He went to jail many times, came close to death many times, but did not bow down or stop.
His political journey reached Parliament and Legislative Assemblies. He became the Chief Minister of Jharkhand thrice and also served as the Coal Minister at the Centre. But his politics was not just for posts – he considered power as a means, not an end.
Image surrounded by controversies
Shibu Soren’s life was as inspiring as it was controversial. In 1994, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the case of murder of his personal secretary Shashinath Jha. Although in 2007, the Delhi High Court acquitted him due to lack of evidence.
Political opponents put him in the dock many times, but for his supporters he always remained a ‘Jananayak’. Even today, his name is taken with reverence and hope in many remote areas of Jharkhand.
A father, an ideology
The departure of Shibu Soren is not just the departure of a politician. With his demise, an entire generation of tribal politics came to an end. His son Hemant Soren is the Chief Minister of Jharkhand today, but it will not be easy to handle the legacy of Shibu Soren.
Hemant tweeted – “Now everything has become zero.” This sentence is not just the grief of a son, it is the pain of the soul of Jharkhand. A state that lost its creator.
Don’t pay tribute, make a resolution
The true tribute to Shibu Soren will be that we fight for the society, whose voice he was. Even today, the tribal community in the villages of Jharkhand is deprived of basic facilities, the fight for water-forest-land continues. The dream of ‘Dishom Guru’ is still incomplete.
We have to move forward with courage, clarity and commitment like him. His ideas have to be kept alive not only in monuments but also in actions.
Shibu Soren is no longer among us, but his thoughts, his struggle and his dream – are still alive. And will remain alive, as long as the tribal soul continues to breathe in the soil of Jharkhand.
