Mortal remains of Shibu Soren to be laid to rest at ancestral village with full state honours

Ranchi: The mortal remains of veteran tribal leader and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) co-founder Shibu Soren, fondly known as 'Dishom Guru', will be laid to rest with full state honours at his ancestral village Nemra in Ramgarh district on Tuesday, officials said.

Guruji, as he was popularly known, breathed his last at a private hospital in Delhi on Monday, and tall political figures and leaders like President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the departed soul there.

Preparations are in full swing for the last rites of the former chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP at his native place in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district, around 70 km from the state's capital Ranchi, the officials said.

Soren, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha co-founder, who was undergoing treatment at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi for over a month for kidney-related problems, died at the age of 81.

His last rites will be performed on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior administrative officials, including the Ramgarh deputy commissioner and the SP, visited Nemra to take stock of the preparations.

Special traffic arrangements have been made for the funeral as several political leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and others are likely to participate.

The political leaders from across the country started arriving in Ranchi.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh, who arrived at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport, told reporters, “I pay tribute to Shibu Soren from the party. He created Jharkhand after a long struggle and also fought a long battle for the tribals and the deprived. His demise is an irreparable loss.”

TMC MP Shatabdi Roy, who also arrived here this morning, said, “Our (West Bengal) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could not come. She sent me and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien to pay tributes to Shibu Soren. His name will remain in history due to the love and respect of people towards him.”

“Following the ideology of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Soren became the voice of the deprived and the oppressed not only in Jharkhand but the country. He was the symbol of struggle, humanity and social justice," Purnia MP Pappu Yadav said at the airport here.

Meanwhile, a pall of gloom has descended on Nemra village after Guruji's demise.

Before his last rites, the mortal remains of Shibu Soren will be brought to the Jharkhand Assembly for legislators and officials to pay their last respects this morning.

His demise marks the end of a defining political era, one that brought the tribal movement from the grassroots of Jharkhand to the forefront of national politics.

Shibu Soren had been the leader of the JMM for the past 38 years.

As a mark of respect, the Jharkhand government declared a three-day state mourning till August 6.

Most of the schools in Jharkhand are closed on Tuesday, with many ensuring special prayers for peace to the departed soul.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were also adjourned for the day on Monday as a mark of respect, following the death of sitting MP Shibu Soren.

The ongoing monsoon session of the Jharkhand Assembly, which began on August 1, was adjourned sine die following the announcement of his death.

Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato said Soren's passing was an irreparable loss not only to Jharkhand but to the entire nation.

"He was known for his fight for the poor," Mahato had said, expressing grief on behalf of the House.

Shibu Soren's mortal remains were flown to Ranchi in a special aircraft from Delhi.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his legislator wife Kalpana Soren, and MLA brother Basant Soren also returned to Jharkhand.

A flower-decked open carriage carried the mortal remains from the airport to Soren's Morabadi residence in Ranchi, with the chief minister and his legislator brother seated beside his father's body throughout the procession.

CM Soren's wife was seen seated in the front of the vehicle, and remarked, "Everything has become desolate...Your struggle, your love, your convictions - this daughter of yours will never forget."