As a soulful, melodious voice reaches a crescendo singing “Ganapati Bappa Morya”,  a small gathering breaks into a dance. The setting seems perfect for a cultural event, but at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar crossing, the venue for all protests and agitations, Anna Hazare's ongoing fast which is drawing nationwide support has the potential of unsettling the most powerful people in the country.

On the face of it, an innocuous threat of fast unto death over corruption may appear to be an aberration. In the corridors of power, perhaps the last practising Gandhian and his colleagues may come across as mavericks arrogating themselves the role of people’s representatives. Cynics may call the entire exercise a waste of time and energy on the logic that those who remained indifferent to farmers’ suicides and starvation in rural India would be too immune to respond to Anna Hazare’s fast unto death .

But logic and strategies have often played little role in people’s mobilisation in India. What matters is spontaneity and empathy. There is no doubt that Anna Hazare’s fast has been scoring on this count. The spontaneous response of people gathering at the venue of protest is a clear indication of the esteem in which Anna Hazare is being held by people. That a younger generation has identified itself with the issue is yet another index of wide acceptability of the issue which Anna Hazare has espoused.

In fact, what has been unfolding at the Jantar Mantar crossing does not bode well for the political class in India.  The fact that Anna Hazare is not a prominent figure in North India makes him more acceptable. The credibility of established politicians is so low that the image of an old Gandhian fasting to check corruption turns Hazare into the mould of a saviour.

Signficantly enough, the organisers are aware of the anti-politicians' mood of the gathering. Sharad Yadav and Maneka Gandhi were dissuaded from climbing atop the platform where Anna Hazare has been fasting. Though some posters of Baba Ramdev can be seen, the Baba was not allowed to take a lead role because of his liasion with the saffron brotherhood. That mobilisation needs a certain dose of religiosity is taken care of by singing of Gandhi bhajans at the spot.

By all accounts, it will be extremely difficult for the Manmohan Singh regime to ignore Anna Hazare’s protest for long. Though there may be attempts by the government's spin doctors and the Congress party to give a political colour to the ongoing protest against corruption, Anna Hazare is bound to emerge stronger in the coming days.