Prerna Suri

Neither here, nor there

"They call us names and randomly pick us up," 42 year-old Mohammad Alam tells me. 

"Sometimes, they even drop us off at deserted areas or threaten to put us in prison. If we pay them money, we’re free to go.”  

Five years ago, Mohammad crossed the border from Bangladesh into India, dreaming of a better life. Yet, it is no better than the one he left behind.

Mohammad is a rag picker; he sifts through plastic bottles, newspapers, and used syringes - anything he can sell to get a good deal. But it’s not his work that peeves him; he is proud of what he does. Instead, it’s the constant harassment he faces from the local police, who threaten him, demand money and even beat him up if he pleads with them.

Why? Because Mohammad is among an estimated 3 million illegal Bangladeshi workers in India.

Anybody suspected of being one is routinely rounded up and detained. Many prefer to simply hide their real identities.

A people's hero

As far as the eye can see, the streets are lined with rows of tricolored flags. They’re fluttering in whatever monsoon winds are left. A group of women students from New Delhi walk with construction workers from Bihar. Their voices rise in curious unison: "Long live the revolution".

The "India" of the elite, and the "Bharat" of the masses, seamlessly coming together in one eclectic moment.

It’s almost a carnivalesque atmosphere at Delhi's Ramlila grounds. One could be forgiven for thinking this is another one of India’s colourful festivals. But this time, the young, the old, men, women and even children are speaking in one voice, all for one 74-year-old man. And all against corruption. A bit much you'd think?

The Anna phenomenon

Will Indian protests end corruption?

It is being called India's version of Tahrir Square after Egypt's protests that toppled the president. Jantar Mantar, the country's historic stretch, is crowded with Indians. They're singing, chanting, dancing, painting, holding up placards in 45 degrees heat - all for one cause: corruption.

"Politicians are getting richer and we're paying the price for it. We don't have jobs and while we're suffering they're living it up,"  says 22-year-old Swati, a university graduate. She's supposed to be the face of 'shining India', where opportunities are available in plenty, but her presence in these protests is defying that image.

A defining moment?

There's a change in India.

Whenever previous American presidents have touched down in the country, their every gesture is scrutinised. From what tickles their palate right down to whose hands they shake more vigorously.

A visit from an American president has always infused India with some much-needed confidence.

With Barack Obama's maiden visit to the country as president, there is excitement. But not the electrifying expectations one had when George W Bush or Bill Clinton came calling.

So, what's really changed?

A nine per cent growth rate may have added to India's confident swagger. Or a $30bn defence budget may have caught the world's attention.

"The US sees that India is clearly a rising power, its economy is quite strong.