Why this is Shibu Soren's last chance

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To his supporters, Shibu Soren is known as Dishom Guru or the great leader. In the remote adivasi villages of Jharkhand, villagers will tell you stories of how after 'Bhagwan' Birsa Munda, Soren was the next best thing to have happened for the cause of Jharkhand. But despite all these accolades, Guruji has never really been able to enjoy the sweet taste of power for long. Whether at the Centre or in the state. His first two stints as chief minister of Jharkhand were rather brief. In 2005, he was CM only for a week, largely courtesy the then governor Sibtey Razi who swore him in despite the JMM-Congress combine having lesser numbers than the BJP combine. In 2008, his stint as CM lasted for a few months before he was ejected after losing a by-election. Shibu Soren's story is full of ironies.

Way back in 1993, along with five of his other Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) colleagues, he got embroiled in what became famous as the JMM bribery scandal. Soren was accused of taking money to support Narasimha Rao on the eve of a crucial trust vote. He was given a sum of approximately Rs 30 lakhs to ensure that Rao remained PM. But what's not talked about often is just how Soren was caught.

In the history of all corruption scandals in our country, how many times have you seen a culprit go to a nationalised bank and deposit the bribe money? Well that's exactly what Soren did. He took the money from the Congress managers and landed straight the next day at the Punjab National Bank. Opened an account and deposited the money there. Maybe he was saving for a rainy day. He invested in property too, but again in his own name. What it suggests is a poor not too well educated man got lured by cash but didn't quite know how to cover his trail. That's how he got caught.

The other two problem areas for Shibu Soren are his involvement in the murder case of his personal secretary Shashinath Jha and the Chirudih massacre case in the 70s. The case of his secretary's death was vigorously investigated by the CBI. Jha's skeleton was found in the jungles outside Ranchi almost two years after the killing. Soren first got convicted by a trial court but then managed to secure an acquittal as well. This was a case when Soren was already in the business of power.

But the Chirudih massacre case dates back to a time when Soren was a true revolutionary. He was accused of instigating a mob that killed nine Muslims and policemen in a battle between tribals and non-tribals. Soren was fighting for a separate state where only tribals could live. His dream turned into a reality, but as events in the recent past have shown, its been a nightmarish reality. In terms of social sector spending, infrastructure development, education, healthcare, Jharkhand continues to languish at the bottom of the national scales.

But surprisingly, the MLAs here are the highest-paid legislators that you will see anywhere in the country. All these flaws have become a part and parcel of Jharkhand's polity only because the government always turned a blind eye to anything that was being done by tribals. A Madhu Koda didn't appear suddenly on the scenes. He was there, making money and sharing the loot with all and sundry over a prolonged period. Will Shibu Soren be in a position to turn around this perception of Jharkhand being amongst the most corrupt states? Not too sure.

Those working with him say that Shibu Soren is not in control of his actions anymore. That his whole power empire is now being managed by his son Hemant. There is, by the way, a domestic feud too that Soren will have to settle. Having lost his elder son Durga earlier this year, he had launched his daughter-in-law, Durga's wife, Sita Soren in the election field. She won from Jamtara. But his son Hemant has also won from Dumka. Now between the devar and the bhabhi, there is mad rush for power. Who should appropriate the Soren mantle?

In a sense, this is simply the last chance for Soren to make a mark. The Supreme Court is anyway slated to hear a petition related to his involvement in his personal secretary's murder case in March 2010. An adverse verdict there will put a question mark on his continuing as CM. He has the BJP snapping on his heels, looking for a chance to grab the CM's post on its own if Soren gets stuck with legalities. And then there is the Congress, which wants to ride with Babulal Marandi. All parties are hoping for Guruji to trip. If he falls down again, it will be difficult for him to get up.