Shiva Mahto was an Indian politician and three time Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly from Dumri Assembly constituency in undivided Bihar. Mahto was one of the prominent participant in 'Jharkhand movement', which demanded separate state of

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

to be created by dividing the state of

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

in 1970s. He was also known for his endeavour to spread education among the tribals in his constituency. He represented Dumri Assembly constituency in 1980, 1985 and 1995. Mahto was one of the founder member of

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (; ) is a political party in the Indian state of Jharkhand, founded by Binod Bihari Mahato, Shibu Soren, and A. K. Roy. Hemant Soren is the president of the JMM. JMM is also an influential political party in the state ...

political party.

Biography

Shiva Mahto was born on the auspicious day of

Mahashivratri Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...

in 1914, in

Bokaro district Bokaro district is one of the most industrialized zones in India. It is one of the twenty-four districts of the Jharkhand state, India. It was established in 1991 by carving out one subdivision consisting of two blocks from Dhanbad district a ...

Sijua Sijua is a neighbourhood in Dhanbad in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand state, India. Geography Location Sijua is located at . It has an average elevation of 181 metres (593 feet). Note: The map alongside ...

neighborhood near

Dugda Dugda (also known as Deonagar) is a census town in the Chandrapura CD block in the Bermo subdivision of the Bokaro district in the state of Jharkhand, India. It is a small township, constructed during the 1970s, situated under the foot of ...

. Mahto was involved in social service in later part of his life and he primarily worked in the field of education for the poor children of tribal communities. He used to wander from village to village, in order to motivate the poor children to pursue education. He also coined the slogan of ''Padho aur Lado''. In 1962, he joined

Binod Bihari Mahato Binod Bihari Mahato (23 September 1923 – 18 December 1991) was an advocate and politician. He founded Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in 1972 and was a leader of the movement for the establishment of the separate state of Jharkhand. He was a member of ...

, the prominent leader associated with movement for a separate state of Jharkhand, which was demanded for the tribals of undivided Bihar. He soon became one of the pillar of Jharkhand movement, alongside other leaders such as Binod Bihari Mahto,

Shibu Soren Shibu Soren (born 11 January 1944; ) is an Indian politician who is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Jharkhand, and the leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). He previously served as the 3rd Chief Minister of Jharkhand, ...

and A. K. Roy. Mahto also played significant role in freeing tribals from the clutches of unorganised debt market operated by moneylenders, which ultimately converted a tribal family into

bonded labour Debt bondage, also known as debt slavery, bonded labour, or peonage, is the pledge of a person's services as security for the repayment for a debt or other obligation. Where the terms of the repayment are not clearly or reasonably stated, or whe ...

. His first stint in politics came in 1970s, when he contested in an election for the post of

Mukhi Mukhi (''mukhia'') is the title used for a head of community or village elitesIndia's Villages. Development Department, West Bengal, 1955 and their local government in Western India and Sindh.Peasant Pasts: History and Memory in Western India. Vin ...

ya from the jail itself and won it comfortably. After that he was elected as a member of Bihar Legislative Assembly for three terms from Dumri Assembly constituency. Mahto was also known for his fight against the coal mafias of Jharkhand's

collieries Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extrac ...

. He was known for his powerful speeches and traditional attire having green turban on his head. Mahto also led establishment of Jharkhand Commerce College in Gutbali, in his bid to improve the educational outcome in the tribal dominated state.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahto, Shiva Bihar MLAs 1985–1990 Bihar MLAs 1980–1985 Bihar MLAs 1995–2000 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha politicians 2022 deaths People from Jharkhand