After a protracted illness, Shibu Soren, the former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and the original patron of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), died on Monday at the age of 81 in a Delhi hospital.
Hemant Soren, his son and current chief minister, announced his passing on social media, writing, "Respected Dishoom Guru has left us all. Today, I have become empty." Shibu Soren, affectionately known as 'Dishoom Guru' (Great Leader) by his followers, had been largely absent from active politics in recent years. He was admitted to a Delhi hospital in the last week of June for a kidney-related ailment.
A prominent and towering tribal leader, Shibu Soren was a key figure in the movement for a separate Jharkhand state. He was one of the founding members of the JMM and led the party for nearly four decades. He served as the party's president from 1987 until April. Throughout his distinguished career, Shibu Soren served as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on three separate occasions: in March 2005, from August 2008 to January 2009, and from December 2009 to May 2010. However, he never completed a full five-year term.
In addition to his state-level roles, he was also a Union Cabinet Minister for Coal in three separate stints between 2004 and 2006. A six-time Lok Sabha MP, he represented the lower house of India's parliament from 1980 to 2005. He was also elected to the Rajya Sabha three times during his career.
Top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid tribute to Soren’s remarkable legacy. Describing him as a monumental figure in Indian politics, the Prime Minister acknowledged Soren’s lifelong devotion to the empowerment of tribal communities and the establishment of Jharkhand as a separate state.
“Shri Shibu Soren Ji was a grassroots leader who rose through the ranks of public life with unwavering dedication to the people. He was particularly passionate about empowering tribal communities, the poor and downtrodden. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. While speaking to Jharkhand CM Shri Hemant Soren Ji and expressed condolences. Om Shanti,” Modi wrote on X.
Across party lines, political leaders—friends and rivals alike—joined in remembrance. From his early activism against land alienation and exploitation to his leadership as a three-time Chief Minister and Union Minister, Soren's life was marked by unwavering commitment to his people. His contribution to the movement that birthed Jharkhand in 2000 is regarded as historic.
Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar posted on X, “The demise of former Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Dishom Guru Shibu Soren Ji is extremely sad and painful. He was a strong voice of tribal identity and rights. His contribution in the political-social world will remain unforgettable. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family.”
Soren began his political journey in the early 1970s, founding the JMM to fight for the rights of Jharkhand’s indigenous population. Over the decades, he served in the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, and held several key state and central government roles. His leadership was instrumental in the creation of Jharkhand in 2000, fulfilling a long-pending demand for a separate tribal state.
He is survived by his son Hemant Soren, who currently heads the state government as Chief Minister. His younger son Basant Soren and daughter in law Kalpana Murmu Soren are also MLAs in Jharkhand Assembly.
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