Shibu Soren is and will forever remain ‘Bharat Ratna’: Jharkhand CM on Padma Bhushan to father

Ranchi, Jan 25 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday expressed gratitude to the Centre for conferring the Padma Bhushan on his late father Shibu Soren, and said the tribal leader, “a true son of Mother India”, will forever remain a "Bharat Ratna".

Shibu Soren was among 13 people named for the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian honour.

“In the hearts and minds of the people of Jharkhand, and from Ladakh to Kerala, from Rajasthan to Assam, among the tribal communities across the country, late Baba Dishom Guru Shibu Soren ji - the true son of Mother India- is, has been, and will forever remain a Bharat Ratna,” the CM said in a post on X.

On behalf of the people of Jharkhand, he also extended gratitude to the central government for announcing the Padma Bhushan award to “our beloved, revered, and most respected Baba, the late Dishom Guru Shibu Soren ji.” Born on January 11, 1944 at Nemra village, Shibu Soren, popularly known as 'Dishom Guru' (leader of the land), is one of the most enduring figures in the country's tribal and regional political landscape. The death of the 81-year-old Soren on August 4 last year marked the end of an era, which saw the tribal movement rise to national prominence.

The chief minister said his father’s life extended far beyond the boundaries of politics, reaching into the infinite.

“His entire life stands as a testament to the grand struggle for equality, inclusivity and social justice, identity, Adivasi pride, education, women's empowerment, and the rights and entitlements of the exploited and deprived sections of society,” he said.

“It was this very struggle that, after decades of social and political battles, secured Jharkhand its own state and filled the people with pride in being true Jharkhandis,” the CM added. PTI NAM RBT