Sonaram Soren

Sunaram Soren (also spelled Sonaram; 4 February 1918 - 19 July 1988) was an Indian politician from Odisha. He served four terms as a Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly and was a state cabinet minister.

Personal life Soren was born on 4 February 1918 in Hesela village of Bahalda, in the erstwhile Mayurbhanj State (now in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha). His interest in tribal issues further deepened during his work in the court of the Mayurbhanj State at Baripada. Influenced by Jaipal Singh Munda’s organization Adivasi Mahasabha and its demand for tribal autonomy, he also founded the Mayurbhanj Adivasi Mahasabha in 1946, with its headquarter in Rairangpur, and served as its president.

After India’s independence, on 16 September 1947, Soren wrote to Maharaja Pratap Chandra Bhanjdeo of Mayurbhanj expressing his wish for the state to merge with a proposed Jharkhand. Recognising tribal political aspirations, the Maharaja appointed Soren and other tribal leaders to the state assembly and the cabinet. Soren became leader of opposition in the house. The sentiment then shifted toward remaining an independent state. However, with the Vallabhbhai Patel-led integration of princely states into India, Mayurbhanj’s independence was considered unfeasible. On 16 September 1948, Soren demanded a plebiscite on the state’s future, and also led a rally in Baripada from 2 to 6 November 1948. But, in view of conflicting political aspirations among leaders in the state assembly and social mismanagement, the Maharaja signed the merger agreement with India on 9 November 1948. On 1 January 1949, Mayurbhanj officially merged with Odisha. Subsequently, dissatisfied Soren led Mahasabha declared a civil disobedience movement on 8–9 January 1949, after V. P. Menon rejected their demand, which turned violent. Soren and other leaders were arrested on 4 February 1949.

He lost the 1957 election to Jharkhand Party backed independent candidate Surendramohan Hembram but regained the seat in 1961 as a Congress candidate. In 1966, when the Congress in Odisha split to form the Orissa Jana Congress, Soren joined the Odisha fraction and retained his seat in the 1967 election.

In 1971 assembly elections, he did not participate, and the Bahalda and neighbouring constituency Rairangpur were won by All India Jharkhand Party candidates Sashi Bhushan Marandi and Sidha Lal Murmu respectively. However, in 1974, he contested as a Jharkhand Party candidate but lost to Marandi, who contested as an Independent candidate. In 1977, he won back the seat as a Janata Party candidate and served until 1980.

+ Electoral history Election House Constituency Party Votes % Result 1977Odisha Legislative AssemblyBahalda 11,321 59.19 1974 4,980 19.96 1967 10,947 52.74 1961 10,602 53.04 1957 3,928 26.42 1951 11,012 86.78

Death Soren died on 19 July 1988 at the age of 67.