Jharkhand is in mourning following the death of Education Minister Ramdas Soren, with Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, and numerous ministers and MLAs gathering to pay their respects. The 62-year-old Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader passed away on Friday night at a Delhi hospital, where he was airlifted after a critical fall in his bathroom on August 2.

Soren’s mortal remains were brought to Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport on Saturday morning and placed at the Jharkhand Assembly premises, where a stream of leaders, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Congress state president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, and Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, offered floral tributes. The state declared a one-day mourning period, with the National Flag flown at half-mast and official functions canceled.

Governor Gangwar, who visited Soren in the hospital a week prior, shared his grief, stating, “I was informed he was brain-dead, with minimal chances of recovery. His untimely death is an irreparable loss to Jharkhand.” He met Soren’s family to offer condolences, echoing sentiments on X: “The untimely death of Ramdas Soren ji is an irreparable loss to the state.”

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Speaker Mahato praised Soren’s legacy, saying, “Ramdas Soren was a crusader for the Jharkhand movement, a dedicated MLA, and a compassionate Education Minister. His simplicity and popularity made him a beloved figure. His demise is a great loss.” Transport Minister Deepak Birua paid homage on behalf of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was absent due to attending his father Shibu Soren’s ‘Shraddh’ ceremony in Ramgarh.

Soren’s body will be taken to his Ghatshila constituency, where it will be kept at Mau Bhandar Maidan and the JMM camp office for public homage. JMM and Congress leaders gathered at the airport earlier to honor the late minister, who was on life support under intensive care by a team of senior specialists in Delhi.

Soren’s contributions to Jharkhand’s education sector and his role in the state’s formation movement were widely lauded. His personal secretary, Ajay Sinha, noted the outpouring of grief from constituents and colleagues alike. The loss has left a void in Jharkhand’s political landscape, with leaders and citizens remembering Soren as a humble and committed public servant.

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