Shibu Soren, the founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and former Chief Minister, passed away, leading to an outpouring of grief, particularly from his son, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The elder Soren, who had been ill for a considerable period, died at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi. Hemant Soren took to social media, sharing his profound sorrow. He stated that he was enduring the most challenging phase of his life, having lost not just his father but also a vital part of Jharkhand’s identity.
He described his father as his guide and inspiration, someone who always stood by the people of Jharkhand. Hemant Soren highlighted his father’s early life marked by poverty and struggle, but also by unyielding courage. He recalled his father’s experience of losing his father early in life, which ignited a lifelong commitment to fighting against injustice. Hemant shared memories of his father working with the people and empathizing with their hardships, not just delivering speeches. When Hemant asked him why he was known as ‘Dishom Guru,’ his father responded that it was because he understood the people’s struggles. He noted that the title was earned through the people’s love and respect, not through any official means. His father taught him the path of life and how to walk it.
Hemant Soren remembered his father facing many challenges, and while he was fearful, his father remained resolute. He shared his father’s words that if standing against injustice was a crime, he would repeatedly commit it. He emphasized that his father’s struggle was evident in every aspect of his life. He mentioned how his father’s dream of a separate Jharkhand state came true, but his father never sought power for its own sake. Hemant Soren concluded by pledging to keep his father’s legacy alive. He vowed to never let Jharkhand be defeated, and to continue his father’s fight, knowing that his father lives on in the hearts of the people.