August 04
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and founding patron of Jhakhand Mukti Morcha Shibu Soren passed away, at the age of 81 in New Delhi on Monday. His son, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, announced the death through the social media platform X.
Hemant Soren, Jharkhand Chief Minister and Shibu Soren’s son, said in a post on X: : “Respected Dishom Guruji has left us all behind. Today, I feel completely empty…” Shibu Soren had popularly been known in Jharkhand as ‘Dishom Guruji’.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi condoled the passing of Shri Shibu Soren Ji. He hailed his passion for empowering tribal communities, the poor and downtrodden.
In a post on X, Prime Minister said: “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. Spoke to Jharkhand CM Shri Hemant Soren Ji and expressed condolences. Om Shanti.”
Shibu Soren has been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi for over a month, receiving treatment for kidney-related complications after being airlifted to the national capital in the last week of June. He has been under close supervision from both national and international medical experts since his admission.
Shibu Soren, hailing from the Santhal Adivasi community, was born on January 11, 1944, in the vicinity of Ramgarh, which is now part of Jharkhand.
Shibu Soren’s Political Career:
In the early 1970s, he became a fervent proponent of tribal land rights and was instrumental in the formation of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in 1972 with Binod Bihari Mahato and A. K. Roy. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Dumka seven times, in 1980, from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2002 to 2019. Later, he served in the Rajya Sabha from June 2020 until his death in 2025. Shibu Soren served as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand three times, in 2005, from August 2008 to January 2009, and from December 2009 to May 2010.
In April of this year, during the JMM’s 13th Central Convention in Ranchi, the party officially revised its constitution to signify a shift in leadership to a new generation. Hemant Soren has been appointed as the new Central President, with Shibu Soren taking on the role of ‘Founding Patron’.
