Shibu Soren

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Shibu Soren (Template:IPA; 11 January 1944 – 4 August 2025), popularly known as the Dishom Guru, was an Indian social reformer and politician who was a founder and longtime president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).<ref name="thehindu2025">Template:Cite news</ref> He played a crucial role in the formation of the separate state of Jharkhand from Bihar<ref>

Soren was a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Dumka from 1980 to 1984, 1989 to 1998, and 2002 to 2019. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Jharkhand from 2020 until his death in 2025. He also served as the Minister for Coal in the Union Cabinet three times: in 2004, from 2004 to 2005, and in 2006. However, he was convicted by a Delhi district court of his involvement in the 1994 murder of his private secretary, Shashi Nath Jha.<ref name="rediff"> Template:Cite news</ref> He had also been indicted in the past on other criminal charges.

Political career

Soren entered activism following the murder of his father, Shobaran Soren, on Template:Date. His father was a teacher and tribal activist who worked on tribal land rights issues.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the age of eighteen, Soren founded the Santhal Navyuvak Sangh.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1972, Bengali Marxist trade union leader A. K. Roy, Kurmi-Mahato leader Binod Bihari Mahato and Santal leader Shibu Soren formed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. Soren became the general secretary of JMM. JMM organised agitations to reclaim the tribal lands which were alienated. They started forcibly harvesting in the lands. Shibu Soren was known for delivering summary justice against landlords and money lenders, sometimes by holding own courts.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On 23 January 1975, he allegedly incited a campaign to drive away "outsiders", or the 'non-tribal' people. At least eleven people were killed. Soren and numerous others were charged with various crimes related to this incident. After extended legal proceedings, Soren was acquitted on 6 March 2008.<ref>Soren acquitted in Chirudih massacre case Template:Webarchive Thaindian News. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2010.</ref> However, possibly related incitement charges—dating from two earlier deaths in 1974—remain pending.<ref>Verdict in murder case involving Soren 15 June Template:Webarchive Thaindian News. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.</ref><ref>Verdict in murder case involving Soren on 15 June Hindustan Times 3 June 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.</ref>

He entered to electoral politics as an Independent candidate to the Bihar assembly elections in 1977 but lost to Janata Party candidate.Template:Cn Then, he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Dumka.Template:Cn An arrest warrant was issued against him. He was subsequently elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, 1991 and 1996 as well.Template:Cn

In 2002, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha.Template:Cn He won the Dumka Lok Sabha seat in a by-election the same year and resigned his Rajya Sabha seat. He was re-elected in 2004.Template:Cn

PoI A. P. J. Abdul Kalam administering oath to Soren as Union Cabinet Minister on 22 May 2004

He became the Union Coal Minister in the Manmohan Singh government, but was asked to resign following an arrest warrant in his name in the thirty-year-old Chirudih case. He was one of the main accused amongst 69, with allegations to kill 10 people (including 9 Muslims) on 23 January 1975, in a clash between tribals and Muslims.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the warrant was issued, he initially went underground. He resigned on 24 July 2004. He was able to secure bail after spending over a month in judicial custody; released on bail on 8 September, he was re-inducted into the Union Cabinet and given back the coal ministry on 27 November 2004, as part of a deal for a Congress-JMM alliance before assembly elections in Jharkhand in February/March 2005.<ref>Soren back in Union Cabinet The Hindu. 28 November 2004. Retrieved 22 August 2007.</ref>

Chief Minister of Jharkhand (2005–2010)

On 2 March 2005, after much political bargaining and quid pro quo he was invited to form the government in Jharkhand by the Governor of Jharkhand.Template:Cn He resigned as Chief Minister nine days later, on 11 March, following his failure to obtain a vote of confidence in the assembly.Template:Cn

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he lost to Sunil Soren of the BJP from Dumka constituency.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Electoral history

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Lok Sabha

Year Constituency Party Votes % Opponent Opponent Party Opponent Votes % Result Margin % Ref
2019 Dumka Template:Party name with color 437,333 42.63 Sunil Soren Template:Party name with color 484,923 47.26 Template:No2 -47,590 -4.63 <ref name="TOI1">Template:Cite web</ref>
2014 335,815 37.19 296,785 32.86 Template:Yes2 39,030 4.33 <ref name="TOI1" />
2009 208,518 33.52 189,706 30.5 Template:Yes2 18,812 3.02
2004 339,542 33.52 Sonelal Hembrom 224,527 30.5 Template:Yes2 115,015 3.02
1998 264,778 44.88 Babulal Marandi 277,334 47.01 Template:No2 -12,556 -2.13
1996 165,411 31.94 159,933 30.89 Template:Yes2 5,478 1.05
1991 260,169 58.28 126,528 28.34 Template:Yes2 133,641 29.94
1989 247,502 60.97 Prithvi Chand Kisku Template:Party name with color 137,901 33.97 Template:Yes2 109,601 27
1984 102,535 27.67 199,722 53.89 Template:No2 -97,187 -26.22
1980 Template:Party name with color 112,160 37.55 Template:Party name with color 108,647 36.37 Template:Yes2 3,513 1.18

Assembly

Year Constituency Party Votes % Opponent Opponent Party Opponent Votes % Result Margin %
2009
Template:Small 		Jamtara Template:Party name with color 42,668 35.64% Tarun Kumar Gupta Template:Party name with color 25,036 20.91% Template:Won 17,632 14.73%
2009
Template:Small 		Tamar 25,154 - Gopal Krishna Patar Template:Party name with color 25,154 - Template:Lost 9,062 -
1985 Jama 34,828 66.2% Prome Murmu Template:Party name with color 16,484 31.33 Template:Won 18,344 34.87
1977 Tundi Template:Party name with color 7,523 19.51 Satya Narayan Dudani Template:Party name with color 16,055 41.64 Template:Lost -8,532 22.13

Life imprisonment and acquittal

On 28 November 2006, Soren was found guilty in a twelve-year-old case involving the kidnapping and murder of his former personal secretary Shashinath Jha. It was claimed that Jha was abducted from the Dhaula Kuan area in Delhi on 22 May 1994 and taken to Piska Nagari near Ranchi where he was killed. The CBI chargesheet stated that Jha's knowledge of the reported deal between the Congress and the JMM to save the Narasimha Rao government during the July 1993 no-confidence motion and an act of sodomy was the motive behind the murder. The charge-sheet asserted that: "Jha was aware of the illegal transactions and also expected and demanded a substantial share out of this amount from Soren."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Soren resigned from his post of Union Minister for Coal after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanded that he should do so in the wake of the verdict. This is the first case of a Union Minister of the Government of India being found guilty of involvement in a murder. On 5 December 2006, Shibu Soren was sentenced to life imprisonment. A Delhi court rejected his bail plea, stating: 'We cannot overlook the fact that the appellant (Soren) has been convicted after a detailed and elaborate trial only in November 2006 and sentenced in December 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The bench also noted that he was also being tried in a number of other cases, including the case of mass murder in Jharkhand.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 25 June 2007, Shibu Soren was being escorted to his jail in Dumka, Jharkhand when his convoy was attacked by bombs,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but no one was hurt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Delhi High Court on 23 August 2007 overruled the District Court and acquitted Soren, stating that "The trial court's analysis is far from convincing and not sustainable."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The five men convicted by the Tis Hazari court were held guilty of criminal conspiracy, abduction and murder primarily on the basis of forensic evidence provided by a post-mortem report of a body discovered in Jharkhand, namely a skull superimposition test and skull injury report. This was in addition to eyewitness accounts and some circumstantial evidence.<ref name="HT">Shibu Soren’s Template:Sic on expected lines Hindustan Times. 23 August 2007. Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Personal life

Soren was born on Template:Date into a Santal family to Shobaran Soren and Sonamuni Soren in Nemra village of Ramgarh district, then part of Bihar Province in British India. He completed his matriculation at Gola High School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He completed his schooling in the same district.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Soren was married to Roopi Kisku in 1962. He had three sons Durga Soren, Hemant Soren, and Basant Soren and a daughter, Anjali Soren. His son, Hemant Soren is the Chief Minister of Jharkhand currently and was the CM previously from July 2013 to December 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His elder son Durga Soren was MLA from Jama from 1995 to 2005.<ref>Bihar Assembly Election Results (Constituency Wise)</ref> Durga's wife, Sita Soren is former MLA from Jama, but is now in BJP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Basant Soren is president of the Jharkhand Yuva Morcha, a youth wing of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and current MLA from Dumka.<ref>Basant Soren chosen for Rajya Sabha, JMM too focusses on dynasty in Jharkhand</ref> <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Death

Soren died at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, on 4 August 2025, at the age of 81.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:More detail needed

References

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