When Lata Mangeshkar sang Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon 60 years ago, Pandit Nehru was moved to tears! Cut forward to the present day, young Barnali Hota from Bhubaneshwar with her honey-laced voice had the same effect on deshputra Anna Hazare when she sang this patriotic song during his visit on the sets of Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs.

So moved was Anna by her performance that he was seen wiping tears from under his glasses right after and confessed that this was his favorite song! And this was only the beginning of Anna’s emotional moments as one after another, the super-talented pack on Zee TV’s singing reality show wowed this samaj sevak with goose bump inducing renditions of some of the most memorable patriotic songs in an Independence Day special episode. Anna had readily agreed to be a part of the Independence Day special episode as he had heard of the talented singers and strongly felt that their singing patriotic songs will inspire millions across the nation to help make a better India.

When li’l Salman sang ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’, Anna said it gave him the renewed zest to extend his 16 day fast to 20 days. Anna reacted to Azmat’s rendition of the song ‘Ab Tumhare Liye Hi Watan Saathiyon’, saying that this song should be played twice daily in the Mantralaya to motivate the ministers to really ’serve the country’ instead of scheming and plotting new ways of taking the junta for a ride!

Anna was delighted to see that little children from his village Ralegaon had been brought down to the shoot. The kids expressed their gratitude towards him. Anna was absolutely overwhelmed when they got him a tiffin box packed with his favorite vegetable preparation divshi chi bhaaji!

As if this weren’t enough to send Anna over the moon, the Li’l Champs presented him with a book on Swami Vivekananda and a portrait of the great leader who he considers his source of inspiration. Anna went on to narrate how at the age of 26, he was on the brink of committing suicide, not knowing what to do with his life, until he stumbled upon this great man’s writings and found a new meaning and purpose in life. With his heart-warming simplicity and undiluted focus towards social service, Anna Hazare was the personification of the word patriotism on the show.

Watch Anna Hazare stir up feelings of patriotism on Saturday, 13 August 2011 at 7:30pm only on Zee TV.