Former Chief Minister Shibu Soren Mortal To Be Kept For Public Tribute On Aug 5th

The heart of Jharkhand beats heavy with grief. Shibu Soren, the towering tribal leader, the voice of the voiceless, and the founding father of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, passed away at the age of 81 on Monday morning in New Delhi after a prolonged illness.

Credit Image ( Photo : IANS/ PM Modi Paying Tribute To Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren

Jharkhand woke up to a heavy heart on Monday morning. Shibu Soren, the veteran tribal leader, founding face of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and a three-time Chief Minister of the state, passed away in New Delhi at the age of 81 after a prolonged illness.

Shibu Soren, the founding patron of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had been undergoing treatment at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for kidney-related complications. He had suffered a stroke around one-and-a-half months ago and had been on life support over the past month.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his son, confirmed the news in a post on X, saying: "Respected Dishom Guruji has left us all. Today, I am devastated."

A long-serving public figure, Shibu Soren led the JMM for nearly four decades and was instrumental in championing the rights of tribal communities. He served as the third Chief Minister of Jharkhand and was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times, in addition to serving two terms in the Rajya Sabha.

BJP leader and former Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das expressed his grief, describing the loss as personal.
"Entire Jharkhand is mourning the demise of Guruji. I considered him a father figure. He lived a simple life with high ideals," Das told reporters.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan also paid tribute, recalling Soren’s role in mainstreaming tribal communities.
"His passing has left a deep void. He was the voice of the underprivileged and had a special bond with my father, Ramvilas Paswan," he said.

The mortal remains of Shibu Soren will be flown to Ranchi and will be kept at the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly on Monday, August 5, at 10 AM. This will allow leaders, colleagues, party workers, and the general public to offer their final tribute to the man who dedicated his life to the cause of Jharkhand’s identity and its people, reportedly. 

According to reports, a full state honour is expected during the tribute. Senior government officials, legislators across party lines, and members of the public are likely to gather in large numbers to bid farewell to the leader many regarded as the soul of the Jharkhand movement.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and JMM MLA Kalpana Soren were seen leaving their Delhi residence to visit Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where the late leader’s body is being kept before being flown to Ranchi.

Known widely as ‘Dishom Guruji’, Shibu Soren leaves behind a lasting political legacy in Jharkhand and national politics.