Who Was Shibu Soren? Father Of Modern Jharkhand Passes Away At 81 - Know About 'Dishom Guru'

Shibu Soren is widely revered as "Dishom Guru," and his passing away marks the end of an era in the state and national politics. His rise to fame came in the 1970s with his campaigns against landlords and moneylenders.

Former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren (Photo Credit: @RahulGandhi/X)

Shibu Soren, co-founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, passed away on Monday at the age of 81 following a prolonged battle with kidney-related ailments and complications from a recent stroke.

Shibu Soren is widely revered as "Dishom Guru," and his passing away marks the end of an era in the state and national politics. He was a lifelong advocate of the rights of tribal communities and a separate identity for people of Jharkhand. He played a pivotal role in shaping Jharkhand's political landscape.

Early Life Of Shibu Soren 

Shibu Soren was born on January 11, 1944, in Nemra village, Ramgarh district, which used to be a part of Bihar, and is now in Jharkhand. 

The ex-Jharkhand CM belonged to the Santal tribal community. The tragedy of life hit Shibu Soren when his father was allegedly murdered by moneylenders' thugs while he was still in school.

Shibu Soren's Political Career And JMM

The JMM co-founder's rise to fame came in the 1970s with his campaigns against landlords and moneylenders. According to ANI, Shibu Soren became a tribal icon fighting against injustice, organising agitations to reclaim tribal lands. 

In 1972, alongside A.K. Roy and Binod Bihari Mahato, he co-founded the JMM. He served as its general secretary and later president, leading a movement for a separate Jharkhand state. 

Shibu Soren's dreams of a separate identity for Jharkhand people came true in 2000 when a new state was finally created. His political career spanned over four decades, in which he served as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand three times. 

He served as the Jharkhand CM in 2005, and his tenure lasted for only 10 days as he failed to secure a confidence vote. Following this, he was the Chief Minister of the state once from 2008 to 2009, and then from 2009 to 2010. 

Shibu Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times and served as a Rajya Sabha member for two terms, the second ongoing.

In April 2025, he passed the presidency of JMM to his son, Hemant Soren, who is the current Jharkhand Chief Minister. 

Shibu Soren's Legal Trouble

In 2004, when JMM was part of the UPA coalition government and Shibu Soren was the Minister of Coal and Mines under Manmohan Singh's government, a case landed him in jail. He had to spend a month in jail after an arrest warrant was issued against him in connection with the 1975 Chirudih massacre case, in which he was named the main accused in the killing of 11 people. Later, a court in March 2008 absolved him of all charges.

After this, in 2006, he was convicted in the 1994 murder case of his private secretary, Shashi Nath Jha, leading to a life sentence, though he was later acquitted. 

As per ANI, Shibu Soren also faced other criminal charges, including allegations of inciting violence, but was cleared in significant cases by 2010.

Despite his legal trouble, Shibu Soren always remained a prominent face in the politics of Jharkhand and the nation. 

(with ANI inputs)