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By demanding a separate Sarna Code for the tribals, Hemant Soren has offered the larger issue of tribal identity before the voters

- Md Asghar Khan

THE 24-minute speech by Hemant Soren on the floor of the Jharkhand Assembly on February 5, 2024, did not reveal, even for a moment, the political pressure he faced while he was in prison. For the confidence vote, he reached the assembly under the custody of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED); and through his aggressive speech, he continued his attack on the opposition. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was anti-tribal. This discussion reached outside the assembly as well as the villages. Hemant linked his arrest to a purported conspiracy hatched against tribals and alleged the collusion of the BJP government at the Centre and the governor of the state.

Arrested on January 31, 2024, in an alleged land scam case, the growth of his political stature triggered a debate once Hemant came out of prison on bail after five months. It seemed that his image had changed from being a tribal leader to a national leader. Though he inherited the political legacy of his father, Shibu Soren, he had to fight a long battle to create his political identity.

Hemant began his political journey without any political allegiance—either to the Left or the Right-wing parties. For it was more for the pleasure of power. He joined hands with the BJP to share power in 2010. Obviously, for him, ideology was never a barrier in politics. Ironically, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was founded by Shibu Soren in 1973 with the support of the Left parties.

But today, there is a discussion about the new Hemant in political circles. His administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and his five months in prison have brought out a stronger and a more mature image of Hemant who did not buckle under political pressure.