Shibu Soren

Dumka, Feb. 3: A late night rally that lasted till 2.30 am this morning, prevented the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief, Shibu Soren, from being produced before the Jamtara court today.

The rally at Gandhi Maidan, a kilometre away from the jail where Soren is confined, was telecast on a local cable channel. And the JMM chief reportedly watched it on a colour TV placed for his viewing pleasure.

Speakers at the rally described Soren as Jharkhand’s Gandhi and compared his jail-term with that of Nelson Mandela, before calling for a “nyay rally” at Ranchi on March 24 to secure justice for him.

The high point of the midnight rally was the presence of Durga Soren on the dias and his fiery speech for “yet another movement”.

The meeting was also marked by scathing attack on the Koda government in the presence of several Jharkhand Mukti Morcha ministers. Deputy chief minister Sudhir Mahto was, however, conspicuous by his absence.

Soren had failed to appear before the court on the previous date on January 16 also, because of “sudden illness”. He is being tried by the court for his alleged involvement in the Chirudih massacre in 1974.

Taking a dim view of his absence, the court posted the hearing for February 9.

On the last occasion, said the civil surgeon, T. Hembrom, Soren’s blood pressure had shot up. But today his lower limbs had developed a swelling and doctors discovered a lump in his left leg, he informed.

But his spin doctors today were careful to ensure that he does not meet the JMM leaders camping here. “If he had received visitors today in jail, the could have reacted,” explained one of them.

But every time Soren wants to speak to anyone, his private secretary V. Rout is there to offer one of his cell phones. And every time someone wants to speak to Soren, all that he has to do is to call up Rout first, they maintained.

Prison officials deny reports Soren’s family members and Rout generally enjoy unlimited access to the leader in jail.

His cell is in a remote corner, they say, and he has no opportunity to speak to anyone.

When asked to comment on the claims of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leaders and workers that they have been meeting him, embarassed prison officials claimed that they must be “contractors” going in to supervise some work or the other.

Guruji, they said, is careful to return to his cell by noon. He then reads the newspapers and occasionally writes. He is also fond of gardening and often directs other prisoners on how to grow roses.