Shibu Soren Posthumously Awarded Padma Bhushan; JMM Demands Bharat Ratna

Ranchi: ‘Dishom Guru’ and JMM’s patriarch, Shibu Soren, has been conferred Padma Bhushan posthumously in the field of public affairs, a notification of the Union home ministry said on the eve of Republic Day on Sunday. JMM, which is running an alliance govt in Jharkhand, however, said the Narendra Modi govt denied Shibu his due recognition by denying the Bharat Ratna.Born on Jan 11, 1944, in Nemra village of Ramgarh district, Shibu lost his father after being murdered by moneylenders when he was barely 13. That triggered the veteran tribal leader to wage a war against the mahajani pratha (moneylenders). Gradually, he also fought several wars in the interest of the tribals and downtrodden and became one of the torchbearers of a separate Jharkhand. Shibu died in August last year, at the age of 81, due to prolonged age-related illness. He was also a three-time chief minister of Jharkhand and represented the Dumka parliamentary seat eight times.JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said, “We and scores of tribals across the globe have been demanding Bharat Ratna for Guruji, considering his stature and the significant contribution which is unparalleled. He was a tribal icon not just in Jharkhand, but also across the globe. He deserved Bharat Ratna, but the Modi govt didn’t acknowledge our sentiments and demands.”Ally Congress, too, echoed similar sentiments. Congress state president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said they hoped the Union govt would consider Bharat Ratna for Shibuji.Meanwhile, BJP hailed the Padma Bhushan award to Shibu. In a statement, former CM Raghubar Das said, “The pioneer of Jharkhand movement, Dishom Guru, respected Shri Shibu Soren ji receiving the Padma Bhushan (posthumous) honour is a moment of pride for every Jharkhandi. This honour is not just of an individual, but an honour of Jharkhand’s soil, tradition of struggle and spirit of the people’s movement.”