Shibu Soren: Voice of tribals, identity of Jharkhand

The demise of the co-founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, who championed the rights of tribal communities and a separate identity for people for Jharkhand people, marks the end of an era in the state and national politics.

Born on January 11, 1944, in Nemra village, Ramgarh district (then part of Bihar, now Jharkhand), Shibu Soren belonged to the Santal tribal community. Personal tragedy shaped his life as his father was allegedly murdered by moneylenders' thugs while he was still in school, an event that served as a catalyst in his lifelong fight for tribal justice.

Soren's rise to fame came in the 1970s with his campaigns against the exploitative landlords and moneylenders. He became a tribal icon fighting against injustice, organising agitations to reclaim tribal lands. His fight for tribal community is the reason why JMM remains the most popular party in Jharkhand.

In 1972, alongside A.K. Roy and Binod Bihari Mahato, he co-founded the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, serving as its general secretary and later president, leading a movement to for a separate Jharkhand state. His dreams of a separate identity for Jharkhand people came into fruition in 2000 when a new state was created.

Soren's political career spanned over four decades, in which he served as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand three times (2005, 2008-09, 2009-10). His tenures were, however, short due to political challenges. His first tenure only lasted 10 days due to a failure to secure a confidence vote.

Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times and served as a Rajya Sabha member for two terms, the second ongoing.

However, Soren's political career was not unstained. In 2004, when JMM was part of the UPA coalition government in 2004 and he was serving as Minister of Coal and Mines under Manmohan Singh's government, a case landed him in jail.

Soren has to spend a month in jail after an arrest warrant was issued against him in connection with the 1975 Chirudih massacre case, in which he was named the main accused in the killing of 11 people. Later, a court in March 2008 absolved him of all charges.

However, his legal woes did not end there. In 2006, he was convicted in the 1994 murder case of his private secretary, Shashi Nath Jha, leading to a life sentence, though he was later acquitted. He faced other criminal charges, including allegations of inciting violence, but was cleared in significant cases by 2010.

Despite these cases, Soren remained a towering figure in the state and nation's politics. In April 2025, he passed the JMM presidency to his son, Hemant Soren, the current Jharkhand Chief Minister. (ANI)