Former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren Passes Away at 81
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Shibu Soren, revered tribal leader and founding patron of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), passed away on the morning of 4 August 2025 at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, at the age of 81. His son, current Chief Minister Hemant Soren, confirmed the news, sharing emotional words: “Respected Dishom Guruji has left us all. Today, I feel completely empty.”
Soren had been hospitalised since late June 2025 for severe kidney complications and related health issues. He remained on life support in critical condition for over a month before passing peacefully with family by his side.
Born on 11 January 1944 into the Santhal tribal community in what was then Bihar’s Ramgarh district, Soren emerged as a fierce advocate for tribal rights in the 1970s. He co‑founded JMM in 1973, which became a centrepiece of Jharkhand’s movement for statehood. Known affectionately as “Dishom Guruji”, his leadership spanned over four decades.
Politically, he served three terms as Chief Minister of Jharkhand—in 2005, 2008–09 and 2009–10—and held parliamentary seats eight times in Lok Sabha as well as two terms in the Rajya Sabha. He also served multiple terms as India’s Union Minister for Coal.
Following his death, the Jharkhand government declared three days of state mourning (August 4–6); state offices closed and national flags were flown at half‑mast.
Leaders across the political spectrum, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and opposition figures like Priyanka Gandhi and Rajnath Singh, paid tribute to Soren’s lifelong commitment to tribal empowerment and social justice.
Shibu Soren’s passing marks the end of an epoch in Jharkhand’s political and social history. His legacy—as a tribal icon, grassroots organiser and founding leader of Jharkhand—continues through his family and the movement he helped to build.
