Shibu Soren, the former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), passed away on Monday morning at the age of 81. He breathed his last at 8:56 AM at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, where he had been undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments and complications from a stroke he suffered nearly six weeks ago. According to hospital sources, he had been on life support for the past month.
The news was confirmed by his son and current Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, who in an emotional statement said, “I have become zero today.”
Affectionately known as ‘Guruji’, Soren was a towering figure in tribal politics and a central force behind the creation of Jharkhand in 2000. Born on January 11, 1944, in Nemra village (now in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district), he co-founded the JMM in 1972, focusing on the rights of Adivasis, land reform, and forest rights.
Shibu Soren served as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand three times—in 2005 (for nine days), from 2008 to 2009, and from 2009 to 2010. He was a Member of Parliament from Dumka for eight terms and was currently serving as a Rajya Sabha MP.
He was instrumental in the decades-long movement for the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar, mobilizing thousands of tribal workers, farmers, and youth across the Santhal Pargana region.
Despite a career marked by mass mobilization and popular support, Soren’s political life was not without controversies. He was convicted in 2006 in the murder of his private secretary Shashi Nath Jha (1994) and sentenced to life imprisonment, but was later acquitted by the Delhi High Court in 2007. He was also cleared in the 1975 Chirrudih massacre and a 1974 double murder case due to lack of evidence.
Condolences poured in from across the political spectrum. The JMM described Soren as “a visionary leader who gave voice to the voiceless.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi called his passing “a loss for Indian politics” and acknowledged Soren’s role in championing tribal rights.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Guruji stood firm against injustice and was a symbol of grassroots leadership.” CPI(ML) leaders from Bihar also recognized Soren’s contribution to land rights struggles in eastern India.
Soren is survived by his wife Roopi Kisku, sons Hemant, Basant, and daughter Anjali. His eldest son Durga Soren, a prominent JMM leader, died in 2009.
His last rites are expected to be conducted in Nemra village, with full state honours. A detailed schedule will be released by the Jharkhand government shortly.
