Mortal remains of Jharkhand Edu Minister Ramdas Soren consigned to flames with state honours

Jamshedpur/ Ranchi, Aug 16 (PTI) The mortal remains of Jharkhand Education Minister Ramdas Soren, who died at a hospital in Delhi, were consigned to flames in Jamshedpur on Saturday in the presence of thousands of his supporters.

Ministers, MLAs and senior leaders cutting across party lines gathered at Soren's native place in Ghorabandha, along with common people, to bid adieu to the JMM leader whose last rites were held with full state honours.

His eldest son, Somesh Soren, lit the pyre on their ancestral farmland amid slogans of 'Ramdas dada amar rahe'.

Soren, 62, died on Friday night and the body was brought to Ranchi this morning. Several leaders and his supporters paid tributes to him at the airport.

He is survived by his wife, three sons, and a daughter. His wife, Surajmani, fell sick after seeing his body and had to be admitted to a hospital.

Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi and state Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh were among the leaders who paid tributes to him at the assembly complex, where the body was kept for some time.

"I visited him at the hospital a week ago. I was informed that he was brain-dead. In such a situation, the possibilities of recovery are minimal. The doctors did their best," the governor said.

He also met the Soren's family and expressed his condolences.

"The untimely death of Ramdas Soren is an irreparable loss to the state," Gangwar posted on X.

The speaker described him as a very simple and popular leader.

"He was a sepoy and crusader of the separate Jharkhand movement. Later, he became an MLA and then a minister. He was doing well as the education minister. His demise is a great loss to the state," he said.

Marandi, who is also the state BJP president, said Soren's demise created a profound void in the state's politics.

The state Congress chief said, "Ramdas Soren always struggled for the rights of the deprived and backwards communities. His entire political life was dedicated to public service." In the afternoon, the mortal remains were taken to his constituency, Ghatshila.

Former CMs Champai Soren, Raghubar Das and Arjun Munda, Health Minister Irfan Ansari, and Rural Development Minister Dipikar Pandey Singh were among leaders who paid floral tributes to him at the HCL Ground in Ghatshila.

Transport Minister Deepak Birua said he paid homage on behalf of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is in Nemra village in Ramgarh district for the 'shraddh' of his father, Shibu Soren -- the JMM founder.

"His death is a great loss for the people of the constituency and the state," said Munda, who is also a resident of Ghorabandha.

Soren was airlifted to a private hospital in Delhi from Jamshedpur on August 2, after he fell in the bathroom of his residence.

He was on life support since the beginning, and a multidisciplinary team of doctors was treating him.

A one-day state mourning was declared on Saturday in his honour. PTI SAN NAM BS ACD SAN SOM