How was Shibu Soren's early life; how JMM founder's life became an example of struggle and social change; what incidents changed course of his life
Shibu Soren Passes Away: Shibu Soren, a strong pillar of Jharkhand politics, is no more. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, known as 'Dishom Guru', died at the age of 81 during treatment at Sir Gangaram Hospital in Delhi. His departure has caused a wave of mourning not only in Jharkhand but in the whole country.
Shibu Soren's life has been full of struggle and mass movements. He is known for fighting a long battle for the rights of the tribals and playing a special role in the formation of Jharkhand. He has been the Chief Minister of Jharkhand thrice and has also served as the Coal Minister at the Center.
How was Shibu Soren's early life
Shibu Soren was born on 11 January 1944 in Nemra village of Dumka district of Bihar (now Jharkhand). He comes from a Santal tribal community. From childhood, he closely witnessed the exploitation of his community and the cases of forced land grabbing. These issues strengthened the sense of social justice within him.
In the 1970s, Shibu Soren led many movements like “Sonorel Movement” and “Land Acquisition Protest”. In the year 1972, he founded the ‘Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’. Its objective was to demand a separate Jharkhand state and protect the rights of the tribals.
Shibu Soren's popularity grew rapidly and he reached the Lok Sabha in the 1980s. He used his political power to strengthen the demand for Jharkhand.
Incidents that changed course of his life
A small incident that happened in childhood decided the path of his life. At the age of nine, on the day of Dussehra, his father was removing the feather of a peacock, when the pet bird 'Bhengraj' died.
However, Shibu was so hurt by its death that he cremated the bird and from that day onwards, he gave up non-vegetarian food and followed the path of vegetarianism and non-violence for life.
The murder of his father Sobaran Manjhi in 1957 awakened the social worker and revolutionary within him. Sobaran Manjhi used to make the tribals aware against the exploitation of moneylenders. After his father's death, Shibu left his studies and along with Forward Block leader Lal Kedar Nath Sinha, opened a front against injustice.
Role in the Central Government
Shibu Soren was the Chief Minister of Jharkhand thrice. Although his tenure was sometimes short due to political instability and coalition governments, he took many initiatives regarding social justice and tribal development in Jharkhand.
Shibu Soren served in the Central Government as the Coal Minister from 2004 to 2005 and then from 2006 to 2008. During this time, he was also accused of corruption and criminal cases.
Soren got embroiled in controversies and legal matters
There were many controversies in Shibu Soren's political life. The most prominent case was the Shivani murder case in which he was convicted by the lower court. But later in 2007, the Delhi High Court acquitted him. Apart from this, his name also came up in some scams and land disputes, but his support base was not affected by all this.
Along with this, he was convicted in the case of murder of his personal secretary Shashinath Jha in the year 1994. He also had to go to jail for some time. Along with this, he was also made an accused in the 1975 Chirudih massacre and the violence cases of 1974. However, he was later acquitted.
In fact, Shibu Soren's life has been an example of struggle, sensitivity and social change.
Shibu Soren not only founded the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) but also raised the voice of the tribal community of the state to new heights.
Prakash Kumar Pandey