Their tribe grows

These days the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha JMM is increasingly looking like an extension of its president Shibu Soren. Wife Rupi is a party mem...

These days the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha JMM is increasingly looking like an extension of its president Shibu Soren. Wife Rupi is a party member, eldest son Durga is its MLA from Jama. Youngest son Basant8212;a graduate from Ranchi University8212;is president of the JMM8217;s student8217;s wing. And not to be left out, the middle one Hemant, a BE from The Birla Institute of Technology, is the president of the party8217;s youth wing.

The family party hasn8217;t exactly been smooth8212;Basant was reportedly accused in a molestation case. But giving way to the dynasty has become a given in all parties.

JMM Secretary Shailendra Bhattacharya retorts: 8216;8216;What is wrong with it.8217;8217; He then answers himself: 8216;8216;There is nothing wrong. The party was his in the past. It will will always remain so in future.8217;8217;

The past has a sad ring for Shibu Soren. His memories of his childhood are anything but happy. As he stands before the photograph of his father in his Ranchi home, he thinks back of a time in 1952. Of the forest near Hatebarga village in neighbouring Hazaribagh district where as a 10 year old boy he saw the body of his father lying in a pool of blood, brutally hacked.

Shobran Soren was a school teacher. Besides teaching, he also spoke to the children about the tyranny of money lenders. He was murdered. After his father8217;s death, Shibu grew up in anger. He carried forward his father8217;s campaign, but violently. The result was a popular tribal uprising against land grabbers and money lenders in Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Dumka.

A number of people were killed in this tribal belt during 1952-71. These were the days that Shibhu was seen as Dishum Guru hero of the land by the tribals and alternatively as absconder by the police.Soren along with his lawyer Binod Behari Mahato, founded the JMM in 1973.

And now, despite being a co-accused in the Rs 3.5 crore bribery case, he is back in Dumka to retain his seat. But there is a slight difference this time. Instead of mere small time supporters, he now has allies like Laloo Prasad Yadav and Sonia Gandhi.

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And for those who question his dynastic run, he says: 8216;8216;If a teacher8217;s son becomes a teacher, why can8217;t a politician8217;s son be a politician?8217;8217;

His wife8217;s response is more placid. 8216;8216;Whatever work the party assigns me, I do.8217;8217; Son Hemant, who owns a computer training centre and has been computerising party offices, is happy with his inheritance: 8216;8216;We8217;ve inherited politics and we8217;ll take it forward.8217;8217;