Dharmendra Kumar, who hails from Imamganj, is a BSF jawan currently posted in Akhnoor, Kashmir. He is home on leave. But he says he would rather face terrorists than live here.

"I feel much safer there. At least there I have a weapon. Here I am helpless. You never know when you will be shot," he says sitting in our car on the way to Arwal from Jehanabad.

Part of his company is posted in Bihar and he is afraid that he will be called for election duty.

"Yahan par haalat kharab hai. Bahut khatarnaak ilaaka hai" (This place is very dangerous), he says.

He fears that if there is violence on polling day (February 3) and BSF weapons are looted, he will be in trouble. "I am a local. I will be hauled up."

"Civilians can't figure out which weapons are being fired. But we can tell just by the sound. AK-47, AK-56 toh aise hee chalte rahte hain yahan. (use of AK-47s and AK-56s are common in these parts)"

He adds that nothing has changed here for many years. "Ever since I was born I am seeing this road. On paper it is like the GT Road. But the reality is quite different." s