I am an amateur Tumbaknar (goblet drum) player and I play it with most of the folk singers in Kashmir. My love for Kashmir folk can be gauged by the fact that I have to be held by arms by my friends if at some point of time they don't want to be embarrassed by my behavior on a Mehndiraat (pre-wedding function) or any event. 

They hold on to me, ring me, and make sure that I don't embarrass them any further pretty much like Omar Sahib (Omar Abdullah) does to Farooq Abdullah). But I think Omar sahib has now left him to his devices because he has also realised that he won't succeed all the time. 

The love for songs is another reason for me being closer to Farooq Abdullah. Imagine the risk he took as the chief minister when he would visit a renegade's house in the middle of a day to listen to Kashmiri songs. That was a nightmare for his staff and security personnel who were responsible for guarding him. That showed his love for songs. 

How do I know about it? Because I was part of it on many occasions. I would tell myself, if he would do it, why not me? I also took my chances in the middle of militancy and whatever traces of Kashmiri folk music was allowed at that point of time, I was part of those even if the functions were held in the villages. I never had any problem.

There may have been militants in the audience or some might have even been performing. They left me to my own devices. They  respected what I was doing.