Shibu Soren, founding patriarch of JMM and three-time Jharkhand CM, dies at 81

Shibu Soren, the founding patron of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and a three-time Chief Minister of Jharkhand, died at the age of 81 on Aug 4 at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi.

He had been bedridden for over a month undergoing treatment for kidney infection and bronchitis and was on life-support before his passing at 8:56 am according to hospital officials.

The news was shared by his son, current Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who mourned his father’s passing, saying, “Respected Guru Dishom has left us all. Today, I feel completely empty.”

Born into the Santhal Adivasi community on January 11, 1944, in Ramgarh district (then Bihar, now Jharkhand), Shibu Soren rose from grassroots activism to co‑found the JMM in 1973.

His sustained campaign for a separate tribal state culminated in the formation of Jharkhand on November 15, 2000. He became a Lok Sabha MP for the first time in 1980 and went on to represent Dumka multiple times in subsequent terms.

He served as Union Coal Minister in the UPA government in 2004 and held the Jharkhand Chief Minister’s post briefly in 2005, then again from 2008 to 2009 and 2009 to 2010.

Soren remained president of the JMM from 1987 until April 2025, when Hemant Soren took over the presidency and his father was named founding patron.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to him on X, calling him “a grassroots leader who rose through the ranks with unwavering dedication” and highlighting his passion for empowering tribal communities, the poor and downtrodden. Modi expressed his condolences and offered prayers for Soren’s family.

President Droupadi Murmu, tribal icon herself, described his death as “a big loss in the space of social justice,” underscoring his role as a champion of tribal identity.

The JMM, under its party release, announced three days of state mourning (August 4–6), with state government offices closed and flags flown at half-mast.

Shibu Soren’s political journey was not without controversy. In 2006, he was convicted by a Delhi court in the murder of his former personal secretary, Shashinath Jha.

He resigned as Union Minister and was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, he was acquitted by the Delhi High Court in 2008 due to insufficient evidence.

Despite legal turbulence, Soren remained a towering figure in tribal politics and regional history. He was repeatedly elected to Parliament, served as Union minister, and mobilized grassroots resistance that shaped modern Jharkhand’s identity.

His legacy continues through his two sons in politics: Hemant Soren, the current Chief Minister, and Basant Soren, a state minister and MLA.