Peter G. Marbaniang

Peter G. Marbaniang (ca. 1939 - 29 September 1997) was an Indian politician in the Meghalaya state assembly and at the national level was a representative in the Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1996.^[1] He was also a president of the All India Catholic Union from 1994 to 1996.^[2]

Parliamentarian

Peter G. Marbaniang was a teacher before entering politics.^[3] He was a member of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly between 1972 and 1983, and was a minister in the State government from 1975 to 1983. He was again a member of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly between 1988 and 1989, serving as Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. In 1988 he was a member of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation that went to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Canberra.^[1]

Marbaniang represented the Shillong Lok Sabha Constituency of Meghalaya from 1989 to 1996 in the Lok Sabha, or national parliament.^[1] He was elected to the Shillong constituency in 1989 with 148,657 votes, or 50.77% of the total, running on the Indian National Congress ticket.^[4] He was reelected in 1991 with 144,895 votes, or 48.75% or the total.^[5] In the Lok Sabha he was a member of committees on Public Accounts, Public Undertakings, Transport and Tourism, Business Advisory and General Purposes.^[1]

Christian leader

Marbaniang was a member of the All India Catholic Union (AICU). He was a vice-president during the tenure of Chhotebhai Noronha as president of the union (1990-1994), and in 1990 accompanied Chhotebhai in a meeting of minority leaders with prime minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh.^[6] Marbaniang served as President of the AICU from 1994 to 1996, being succeeded by Norbert D'Souza.^[2] In May 1995 Marbaniang promised to take up the question of introducing a Christian Marriage Bill in parliament. The purpose was to eliminate injustices in laws related to divorce and adoption by Christians.^[7]

In March 1996 the government failed to pass a bill that would extend special statutory benefits to Christians of Dalit origin. Marbaniang had met the prime minister at least ten times and asked repeatedly for the introduction of the Dalit bill. It was withdrawn on a procedural technicality. Marbaniang said the Congress party would have to pay "a heavy price for ignoring the four-decade-old Christian demand" in upcoming general elections.^[8] Marbaniang left the party, giving the "dictatorial attitude" of its leadership as his reason.^[9]

Legacy

Peter G. Marbaniang died in Shillong on 29 September 1997 at the age of 58 years. He was a member of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and Minister of Social Welfare in the State at the time of his death.^[1] His wife, Q.E. Lyngdoh, died on 20 January 2010 at the age of 71, leaving behind nine children and 19 grandchildren.^[10] His son, Robert G. Lyngdoh, was twice elected to the Meghalaya state assembly and served as Home Minister for the state.^[9] His daughter, Ampareen Lyngdoh, was also a member of the Meghalaya state assembly and served as Minister of Education.^[11]

References