Nemra: A galaxy of people from all walks of life, from top politicians to common villagers, thronged Nemra in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand as the mortal remains of former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren were consigned to flames on Tuesday.
People bid adieu to ‘Dishom Guru’, as he was fondly called by the masses, with moist eyes as a sombre atmosphere prevailed in the native village of the JMM co-founder, whose last rites were held with full state honours amid tight security arrangements.
As his elder son and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren lit the pyre, people raised the slogan of ‘Guruji amar rahe’ (long live guruji).
The JMM co-founder died on Monday at a hospital in Delhi while undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments. He was 81. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other leaders, paid homage to the departed soul in the national capital.
Earlier, Shibu Soren’s mortal remains were laid on a flower-decked charpoy at his ancestral home in the village in adherence to full tribal customs, as near and dear ones made a beeline to offer shrouds, chadar, shawls and bouquets.
The coffin was wrapped in the Tricolour and the JMM flag. An emotional wheelchair-bound Roopi Soren, Shibu Soren’s wife, was unable to control her tears, while his sons Hemant and Basant, and daughter-in-law Kalpana were seen standing silent as grief writ large on their faces.
Kalpana Soren was seen consoling her two sons.
The house was packed with people paying their last respects, with many breaking down.
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi reached Ranchi and left for Nemra by road to attend the funeral as their helicopter could not take off from the state capital in view of heavy rainfall.
Both the Congress leaders were earlier scheduled to reach Nemra aboard a helicopter.
Earlier in the day, people lined up on both sides of the road to pay their last respects as the hearse carried Shibu Soren’s body to Nemra from the state assembly in Ranchi, around 75 km away.
Hemant Soren, clad in a white kurta-pyjama, and a traditional tribal ‘gamcha’ on his shoulders, was seen sitting in the vehicle with folded hands. A beeline of vehicles followed the carcade.