Obit Shibu Soren :::: Known as 'Dishoom Guru', he redefined 'Jharkhandi politics' in an era when Lalu had threatened that Bihar could be divided only over 'dead body' : Soren led JMM for nearly four decades until April 2025

Shibu Soren, Jharkhand ex-Chief Minister and JMM founder, dies at 81

(Many may not recall but as a Chief Minister and a sitting Lok Sabha MP, Shibu Soren once voted against BJP line when Manmohan Singh was in power and that brought down his government as the saffron party withdrew support.) 

Shibu Soren, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM patriarch, died at 81 in a Delhi hospital on Monday after a prolonged illness, weeks after being admitted with a kidney-related ailment.  

(The state of Jharkhand he struggled so hard to create today symbolises corruption and political instability.)

Shibu Soren also associated with the Late P A Sangma when NPP -- said to be a party committed to the welfare of the tribals - was floated by the former Lok Sabha Speaker.  

He served as Jharkhand Chief Minister thrice but never completed a full term.

The Shashi Nath Jha murder case nearly ended his career.

Jha, a JMM MP and Soren’s former aide, disappeared in 1994. His body was later found in Ghaziabad. The CBI charged Soren and others, alleging that Jha was abducted and killed because he had knowledge of bribery involving JMM MPs in the 1993 no-confidence vote that saved the Narasimha Rao government.

In November 2006, a Delhi court convicted Soren of murder and criminal conspiracy, sentencing him to life imprisonment. He resigned as Coal Minister and was lodged in Tihar Jail.

On January 23, 1975, a violent clash erupted in Chirudih village, Dumka district (now in Jamtara), between two mobs, one tribal, allegedly led by Soren, and the other of non-tribals linked to the CPI. Eleven people, including nine Muslims, were killed.

The FIR named 69 accused, with Soren listed fourth. According to reports, one accused, Lakhindra Soren, gave a dying declaration on February 7, 1975, claiming: 

“Shibu Soren told us that since Muslims were burning tribal houses, we should first kill the Muslims."

Shibu Soren, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and founding patron of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) died at a Delhi hospital on Monday at the age of 81 after a prolonged illness. Soren was a sitting Rajya Sabha MP.

His son and current Chief Minister Heman Soren announced the death, saying, "Respected Dishoom Guru has left us all. Today, I have become empty".  

The JMM patriarch, who had been away from active politics in recent times, was admitted to a Delhi hospital in the last week of June with a kidney-related ailment. His condition deteriorated recently after he suffered a stroke and had been on life support for the past month.  

He was at the forefront of the movement for a separate Jharkhand state and went on to serve as Chief Minister three times -- in March 2005, from August 2008 to January 2009, and from December 2009 to May 2010 -- though he never completed a full five-year term as his tenure marked by political turbulence. 

His first term in 2005 lasted only nine days due to a lack of majority support. 

Known as 'Dishoom Guru' (Great Leader) by his supporters, Shibu Soren has been a prominent figure in Indian politics, serving as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on three separate occasions and as a Union Minister.

A towering tribal leader and one of the founding figures of the JMM, Shibu Soren led the party for nearly four decades. He took over its reins in 1987 and remained its undisputed president until April 2025.

His first stint in March 2005 lasted just nine days. Appointed CM with Congress backing, Soren failed to prove his majority and had to resign.

He returned in August 2008, forming a government with support from Congress and independents, but that regime too collapsed by January 2009. His third term, beginning in December 2009, ended in May 2010 after the BJP withdrew support over a seat-sharing dispute.  

Born on January 11, 1944, in Nemra village (now in Ramgarh district, Jharkhand), Soren emerged as a mass leader in the 1970s, when he led the “Dhan-Kati" movement, a protest by tribal farmers against exploitative moneylenders and landlords. 

He formed the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in 1972, advocating for a separate state and tribal rights.

In tribal belts, he became a cult figure, someone who held impromptu people’s courts against zamindars and was seen as the protector of Adivasi interests. His base in Dumka, from where he won the Lok Sabha seat eight times, became synonymous with his rise.

By the 1980s and 1990s, Soren was not just a regional leader but a national player, often courted by both the Congress and the BJP for his ability to swing tribal votes.  

He surrendered in Jamtara court on Chirudih case in July 2004 and spent over a month in jail.

In March 2008, a fast-track court acquitted Soren and 13 others, citing a lack of evidence and granting benefit of the doubt. Seven others were convicted.