Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren has rebelled against his party ‘Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’. He expressed his displeasure by sharing a post on his ‘X’ handle on Sunday. He clearly said that he was called to the legislature party meeting and asked to resign, which hurt his self-respect. He further said that after the resignation, many humiliating incidents happened with him. After this, he was forced to look for an alternative path.
Referring to the speculations going on in the media, Soren wrote, ‘Johar friends, after watching the news today, many questions must be arising in your mind. What happened that brought the son of a poor farmer living in a small village of Kolhan to this point.’ He further wrote, ‘From raising the voice of workers against industrial houses in the beginning of my public life to the Jharkhand movement, I have always done politics of public concern. I have been trying to get the rights of the tribals, natives, poor, laborers, students and backward class people of the state. Whether I held any post or not, but I was available to the public at every moment, kept raising the issues of those people who had dreamed of a better future with the state of Jharkhand.’
Soren wrote, ‘Meanwhile, on January 31, after an unprecedented turn of events, the India Alliance chose me to serve the state as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand. From the first day of my tenure to the last day (July 3), I discharged my duties towards the state with full loyalty and dedication. During this time, we took many decisions in public interest and, as always, was always available for everyone. The people of the state will evaluate the decisions we took keeping in mind the elders, women, youth, students and every section of the society and every person of the state.’
The former CM said, ‘When I got power, I took a pledge to serve the state by paying homage to heroes like Baba Tilka Manjhi, Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Sido-Kanhu. Every child of Jharkhand knows that during my tenure, I never did wrong to anyone, nor allowed it to happen.’ He further said, ‘Meanwhile, the day after Hul Diwas, I came to know that all my programs for the next two days have been postponed by the party leadership. One of these was a public program in Dumka, while the other program was to distribute appointment letters to PGT teachers. On asking, I came to know that a meeting of the legislative party has been called by the alliance on July 3, till then you cannot attend any program as CM.’
Soren wrote, ‘Can there be anything more humiliating in a democracy than someone else getting the programs of a Chief Minister cancelled? Despite swallowing this bitter insult, I said that the appointment letter distribution is in the morning, while the legislative party meeting will be in the afternoon, so I will join it from there. But, I was flatly refused from there.’ He further wrote, ‘In my spotless political journey of the last four decades, for the first time, I was broken from within. I could not understand what to do. For two days, I sat quietly and introspected, kept looking for my mistake in the entire incident. There was not even an iota of greed for power, but to whom could I show this blow to my self-respect? Where could I express the pain caused by my own people?’
Soren wrote, ‘When the party’s central executive meeting has not been held for years, and one-sided orders are passed, then whom should I go to and tell my problems? I am counted among the senior members in this party, the rest are juniors, and the supremo who is senior to me is no longer active in politics due to health, then what option did I have? If he had been active, perhaps the situation would have been different.’
Soren wrote, ‘Though the Chief Minister has the right to call a meeting of the legislative party, I was not even told the agenda of the meeting. During the meeting, I was asked to resign. I was surprised, but I had no greed for power, so I immediately resigned, but my heart was emotional due to the blow to my self-respect.’
Johar friends,
After watching the news today, many questions must be arising in your mind. What happened that brought the son of a poor farmer living in a small village of Kolhan to this point.
At the beginning of his public life, he raised the voice of the workers against the industrial houses…
— Champai Soren (@ChampaiSoren) August 18, 2024
Soren wrote, ‘I was emotional due to the insulting behaviour for the last three days and was trying to control my tears, but they were only interested in the chair. I felt as if I had no existence in that party, no existence at all, for which I had dedicated my entire life. In the meantime, many such insulting incidents happened, which I do not want to mention at the moment. After so much insult and contempt, I was forced to look for an alternative path.’
Soren wrote, ‘With a heavy heart, I said in the same meeting of the legislative party that – “A new chapter of my life is going to start from today.” I had three options in this. First, to retire from politics, second, to form my own organization and third, if I find a partner on this path, then to travel further with him. From that day till today, and till the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, all options are open for me in this journey.’
Some media reports on Friday claimed that Soren may join the BJP before the Jharkhand assembly elections. But Soren said on Saturday that he had no knowledge of the speculations. Before leaving for Delhi, he told reporters, “I do not know anything about such speculations and news, I am where I am.”
