Imphal, April 01: The life of an Army dog seem to be definitely more preferable than the kind of sordid existence that displaced victims of the 1997 bloody Kuki-Paite ethnic clash are leading in the remote hilly regions of Churachandpur district.

it is a fact that while an Army sniffer dog used during counter insurgency operation in remote areas of district was airlifted by helicopter from Thanlon to Leimakhong Army Hospital for medical treatment, the impoverished victims of the ethnic clash are still trying to piece together the broken thread of life with no home and cultivation land of their own, not to speak of other numerous problems they have been exposed to down the years.

After his home and other properties have been consumed in the flame of the ethnic clash, 50-year old Tualzasawn Suantak left his native Tuantung village along with his family and came to Thanlon, realising little that life would not be the same anymore.

Recounting the hard time he and his family members have endured, Tualzasawn, whose hearing power too has been slightly impaired with advancing years, said not a single soul is living in his native village now nor would he like to go back and settle there any more.

There is neither sign of the warm and cosy cottage that he had built with his own sweat and blood nor the vast tract of agricultural land that he was once a proud owner.

All have been consumed in the ferocity of the ethnic clash.

Father of two children, Tualzasawn informed his eldest son is now studying in a school run by the Church and they are staying in an abandoned Government quarter which they now call 'home'.

With the meagre income that he could earn from doing odd jobs like giving a helping hand in the Jhum cultivation of other people, providing two square meals daily is a hard task and the family has spent many a sleepless nights on empty stomach.

The tragic tale of Tualzasawn is also the tale of numerous others who have been displaced by the late 70's clash and for whom even basic medical requirement is a luxury that would make a hole in their cash-crunch pockets even if one of their family member is dying from want of medical care.

However, on the other side of the fence, a sniffer dog used by the Army during counter insurgency operation has been getting preferential treatment when it fell sick.

One such trained dog called Bhai was recently airlifted from Thanlon to Leimakhong Army Hospital for medical treatment.

On getting message of the sickness of the dog from 3 Rajputana Rifles posted at Thanlon, Army authorities spend around Rs 1 lakhs in hiring a helicopters for bringing the dog and treating it at Leimakhong On March 28.When asked why the Army authorities spend such a huge amount in hiring the helicopter for airlifting and treating a dog, CO of 3 Rajputana Rifles Jaswal retorted that Bhai should not be considered an ordinary dog.

'It (dog) is like one of us (Army personnel).

Though Bhai does not get salary, he is issued Army number and saved the lives of many of our personnel', he said, while clarifying that around Rs 50,000 were spend in airlifting the dog to Leimakhong.

It is said that under the supervision of the CO, the Battalion has started free computer classes for the school children at Thanlon.