Today, January 11, is Shibu Soren’s 81st birthday. I pray to God to give him a long life to serve Jharkhand. On his birthday, I want to give a message about his life in very few words. If you want to know about Shibu Soren in detail then read my book “Jharkhand Ki Samargatha”.
Shibu Soren’s struggle saga that emerged on the political horizon of Jharkhand began in a small village Nemra against the exploitation, oppression and exploitation of tyrants, usurers, moneylenders. The spark that erupted against injustice and exploitation at a very local level turned into a flame of revolution, which took the form of a decisive movement against the age-old exploitation and oppression of Jharkhand. Child Shivcharan Majhi (later Shibu Soren) got the spirit to fight against adversities, to fight and to face social and economic problems at a very young age after his teacher father Sobran Manjhi was murdered by domineering contractors, usurers, moneylenders.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha was formed in 1973 and the government started getting worried due to the increasing agitation of the Morcha. After the arrest of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s founder president Binod Bihari Mahto in MISA and Emergency, the district administration became active to arrest Shibu Soren on the orders of the Bihar government. Meanwhile, Shibu Soren also built an ashram in Pokharia village, 5 km from Tundi, from where the movement was operated during the Emergency. This ashram was the centre of the movement and from here the movement continued to expand in the Santhal Parganas district as well. In those days Shibu Soren was given the title of Dishom Guru in Pokharia Ashram.
In the early years of his political career, Shibu Soren fought a long and decisive battle against various evils, customs and superstitions prevalent in the tribal society.
I met Shibu Soren for the first time on September 10, 1978 at Binod Bihari Mahato’s Dhanbad office and urged both of them to give me an opportunity to work under the banner of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in Singhbhum district. They accepted my point and on 25 September 1978 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha was established in a huge public meeting in Chakradharpur. A photo of that time is of me and Shibu Soren, which I am releasing on his birthday.
(Courtesy: Facebook wall of Shailendra Mahto)
