💔 “THE FATHER OF JHARKHAND HAS COME HOME!” – CHIEF MINISTER HEMANT ESCORTS GURUJI TO RANCHI AS THOUSANDS DROP TO THEIR KNEES IN TEARS FOR A FINAL FAREWELL

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The roads of Ranchi were lined with candles. The skies were gray, but not from rain — from the weight of collective sorrow. Jharkhand’s spiritual and political patriarch, Shibu Soren — lovingly known as “Guruji” — returned home for the final time. His body, draped in the national flag, was escorted by none other than Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his son and political successor.

It wasn’t just a funeral. It was the closing of a chapter in Jharkhand’s identity.

As the convoy rolled into the city on Tuesday evening, thousands stood in silence, many with tears streaming down their faces. Elderly women clutched faded photographs of Guruji from his early activist days. Children, too young to understand politics but old enough to feel grief, lit candles and waved goodbye.

A Revolutionary, A Father, A Legend

Shibu Soren was not just a politician. To the people of Jharkhand, he was a symbol of resistance, a voice for the indigenous and tribal communities long ignored by the central powers. From his earliest years organizing laborers in the coal mines of Dhanbad, to leading the movement for Jharkhand’s statehood, Guruji was a force.

“He didn’t lead from behind a podium,” said Shyam Murmu, a retired miner from Bokaro who traveled over 150 miles to attend the procession. “He led from the front lines — with us, in the dust, under the sun.”

Born in 1944, Shibu Soren was a founding figure in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). He fought for land rights, for tribal autonomy, for a distinct state — and in 2000, that dream became reality when Jharkhand was carved out from Bihar. Many credit Guruji for the state’s very existence.

“He was our light in the darkness,” said Sunita Ekka, a tribal schoolteacher. “He gave us a name. A voice. A place on the map.”

Hemant Soren Leads a Procession of Pain

Tuesday’s funeral procession began at the Birsa Munda Airport, where Chief Minister Hemant Soren received his father’s body. Flanked by guards and political allies, Hemant held his composure — but his eyes told a different story. The pain was personal.

“This is more than a loss for Jharkhand. It is a loss for me as a son, for us as a family, and for everyone who ever believed that the powerless can rise,” Hemant said briefly to reporters before entering the motorcade.

The convoy, marked by slow-moving siren-blaring vehicles and black flags, moved through the heart of Ranchi: Kanke Road, Morabadi Grounds, Main Road. At each stop, people showered flowers on the hearse. Some chanted, others simply bowed.

One child held a cardboard sign that read:
“Thank you, Guruji. We will never forget.”

Political Unity in Grief

In a rare moment of cross-party solidarity, leaders from the BJP, Congress, CPI(M), and regional outfits joined the ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted:

“Shibu Soren’s contribution to Indian democracy and the upliftment of marginalized communities will be remembered forever. My condolences to the people of Jharkhand and his family.”

Rahul Gandhi called him “a man of the people” and “an icon of grassroots politics.”

But for most, politics was the farthest thing from their minds. The air was thick with grief — not calculation.

“He gave his life to us,” whispered Ramesh Tudu, a university student. “And now we give him our silence.”

From the Streets to the Scriptures

As night fell, Guruji’s body was placed in the Vidhan Sabha complex, where state leaders and the public were allowed to pay their last respects. Religious leaders of all faiths — Hindu, Christian, Muslim, and tribal elders — offered prayers.

An indigenous priest chanted in Santhali, the tribal language Guruji often spoke during his speeches. “Let his soul return to the forest. Let his name echo in every tree,” he said.

Outside, a group of villagers sang a folk song from Santal Pargana:
“The lion has returned to the jungle. Let the forest weep one last time.”

What Comes Next?

Hemant Soren has vowed to carry on his father’s legacy, though many say the void Guruji leaves is irreplaceable. A formal state funeral is planned for Thursday, with cremation at his ancestral village in Dumka.

In the meantime, the government has announced three days of state mourning, with flags at half-mast and schools closed.

But even beyond the protocol, it’s clear: something deeper has been lost.

“Guruji was Jharkhand,” said Ranchi local Priya Hansda. “We didn’t agree with every decision he made, but we knew his heart beat with ours. Now, we must keep that heartbeat alive.”

As his body lies in state, thousands continue to file past, whispering prayers and touching their foreheads to the glass. One by one, they say goodbye — not just to a leader, but to a father, a fighter, and the soul of a state that he carved out of blood, struggle, and love.

Guruji has come home. And Jharkhand will never forget.