SHILLONG: A photo of late police officer PJ Marbaniang in his uniform together with words written by his wife recalling his selfless service is hung at his residence at Umpling.
“Those special memories of you will always bring a smile. If only I could have you back for just a little while, then we could sit and talk again just like we used to do. You always meant so much and will always do. The fact that you are no longer here will always cause me pain. But you are forever in my heart, until we meet again,” say the words.
Orphan is the word she uses to describe herself after the mysterious and devastating death of her husband in January this year.
Speaking to The Shillong Times at her Umpling residence, Chaleth Pyngrope, the wife of late Marbaniang said that she has to singlehandedly look after her two younger sisters, who are studying in Guwahati, and her two-year-old child following the death of her husband.
Her mother passed away in February, 2014 and the death of her husband in January this year has further devastated her as she has to bear all the responsibilities alone.
Chaleth, who is a teacher at Auxilium School, Nongthymmai, however, said that what gives her courage to face the difficulties is the belief that the death of her husband was for a good cause (detaining coal laden trucks illegally transporting coal).
“My husband was a courageous man and he will always continue to inspire us,” she said.
However, she is annoyed over the suicide theory of Special Instigation Team (SIT) which probed the cause of the death of her husband who was found dead with bullet injuries on the back of his head at his official quarter at Patharkhmah.
“The report of Special Instigation Team that my husband committed suicide has shocked me as I will never believe that he can take recourse to such a step since he was always against people taking away their lives. He was a strong believer in God,” Chaleth said.
The wife also pointed out that if her husband would have been timid, he would have never detained the coal laden trucks.
“He knew the consequences (of the move) and wanted to face them bravely,” she said.
Equally devastated is Dorothy Marbaniang, the aged mother of the police officer residing at Upper Shillong as he was the last one in the family.
“He was my last son, but everyone depended on him. He went through hardships and even engaged himself as a road labourer while he was studying MA at NEHU,” the mother recalled.
Mary Marbaniang, the sister of the victim, said that her brother was optimistic in life which indicated his positive approach to life as against the suicide story of SIT.
