Lost Spring: Q1.

What is Saheb looking for in the garbage

dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans. Saheb is looking for gold in the garbage dumps. He is in the
neighbourhood of the author. Saheb has come from Bangladesh. He Came
with his mother in 1971. His house was set amidst the green fields of Dhaka.
Storms swept away their fields and homes. So they left the country.

Q2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not
wearing footwear?
Ans. One explanation offered by the author is that it is a tradition to stay
barefoot. It is not lack of money. He wonders if this is only an excuse to
explain away a perpetual state of poverty. He also remembers the story of a
poor body who prayed to the goddess for a pair of shoes.

Q3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.

Ans. No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He is no longer his own
master. His face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier
than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulder. The bag was
his. The canister belongs to the man who owns the tea-shop.

Q4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Ans. The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-
blowing industry. Families have spent generations working around furnaces,
welding glass, making bangles for the women in the land.

Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?

Ans. Boys and girls with their fathers and mothers sit in dark hutments, next
to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps. They weld pieces of coloured glass
into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the
light outside. They often end up losing eyesight before they become adults.
Even the dust from polishing the glass of bangles is injurious to eyes. Many
workers have become blind. The furnaces have very high temperature and
therefore very dangerous.

Q6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of

his family?
Ans. Mukesh’s grandmother thinks that the god-given lineage can never be
broken. Her son and grandsons are bom in the caste of bangle makers. They
have seen nothing but bangles.
Mukesh’s father has taught them what he knows—the art of making bangles.
But Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic. He will go to a garage and learn,
though the garage is far away from his home.

Q7.Who is Saheb? How can you say his name is ironic?

Answer:
Saheb lives at Seemapuri, an area situated at the periphery of Delhi. He is a poor
ragpicker. His full name is Saheb-e-Alam. It means lord of the universe. But ironically
Saheb is so poor that he can’t even afford buying footwear.

Q2.Whom did the author meet every day? Where had that person come from
and why?
Answer:
Every day the author met a ragpicker young boy named Saheb, He had come
from Bangladesh. There were many storms. These storms swept away their
fields and homes. Tliat is why he, along with his parents, left his country

Q3. What did Saheb find sometimes in the garbage? What did he do then?
Answer:
Sometimes, Saheb found a rupee or a ten rupee note. When he found a silver
coin in a heap of garbage, he ’ didn’t stop scrounging. He always hoped to
find more. He had entirely different meaning of garbage.

Q4. What does the reference to chappals in “Lost Spring” tell us about the
economic condition of the rag pickers?
Answer:The rag pickers of the Seemapuri area , situated at the periphery of
Delhi, are living a in very miser-able condition. They lack all the basic facilities
of life. They are so poor that they can’t even afford to buy chappals. But to
conceal their poverty they say that it is their tradition to walk bare-footed.

Q5.What promise did the author make with Saheb? Why had she to feel
small?
Answer:Saheb used to roam here and there. The author ad-vised him to go to
school. But he said that there was no school in the neighbourhood. At this the
author said that she would start school. But she had made this promise half-
jokingly and was not at all serious about it. After a few days Saheb came to
her to ask if her school was ready. She had to feel small. She never wanted to
start a school. She said that promises like hers are frequently made but
hardly ever kept.

Q6. How does the author describe the area of Seemapuri?

Answer:Seemapuri is situated at the periphery of Delhi. It is a sort of
wilderness. Most of the people living here are Bangladeshi immigrants. They
live in structures made of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of
sewage, drainage or running water. They are about 1000 in number and most
of these are rag pickers.

Q7.What was the full name of Saheb? What did it mean? If he came to know
the meaning of his meaning what would be his reaction?
Answer:The full name of Saheb was Saheb-e-Alam. It meant lord of the
universe. It would be difficult to believe about the meaning of his name. He
was not a lord at all. He was a poor ragpicker.
Q 8.Why did the children not wear any footwear? What explanation did they
give for it?
Answer:The children were too poor to afford any footwear. They had become
used to roam bare-footed. Different boys gave different reasons for not
wearing foot wear. Some admitted that they couldn’t afford them while the
others said that it was their tradition to move bare-footed.

Q 9.Where have the people living in Seemapuri come from? Why don’t they
go back?
Answer:The people living in Seemapuri have come from Bangladesh. It is a
place of green fields. Their land is very beautiful. But it is frequently swept by
the storms. They had to starve there. Therefore they immigrated to India and
do not want to go back.

Q10.What was Saheb wearing one morning? Where did he get it?
Answer:Saheb was wearing tennis shoes one morning. They were the
discarded shoes of a rich boy. There was a hole in one of the shoes and thus
that rich boy discarded it. But for Saheb who always walked bare footed even
these shoes were like a dream come true.

Q11.Where did the author see Saheb one morning? What was he doing there?
Answer:One winter morning, the author saw Saheb standing by the fence gate
of the neighbourhood club, watching young men playing tennis. He would go
inside when no one is around. The gatekeeper allowed him to use the swing.
But the game which he was watching so intently was beyond his reach.

Q12.The author says that Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi yet
miles away from it, metaphorically. What is the meaning of her statement?
Answer: Seemapuri is situated on the periphery of Delhi. But it is devoid of all
basic amenities. Unlike Delhi it is not developed at all. Though it is quite near
Delhi, it does not have any effect of the city. Therefore the author is quite
right in saying that Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles
away from it.

Q13.What does garbage mean for the elders and the children in Seemapuri?
Answer:Garbage to the elders is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their
heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for children, it is something wrapped in
wonder.

Q14.Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Why/ Why not?
Answer:Saheb did not feel happy working at the tea stall. Now he is not his
own master. He has lost his previous carefree look. He is no longer his own
master. He now belongs to the owner of the tea stall.

Q15.Who is Mukesh? What does he want to become and why?

Answer:Mukesh is a young boy who belongs to a family of the bangle makers
in Firozabad. He doesn’t want to adopt his family profession. He wants to
become a car mechanic. He has seen that bangle making has given his family
nothing but perpetual poverty. Therefore he wants to break away from his
family tradition of bangle making.

Q 16.What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Answer:The city of Firozabad is a hub of bangle making. Every other family is
engaged in making bangles. Bangles are supplied to every comer of the
country.

Q 17.Under what kind of environment are the children forced to work in the
glass blowing industry?
Answer:There are about 20000 children working in the glass blowing industry.
They are forced to work for long hours in very hot temperatures. They have to
work sin dingy cells without air and light. They often lose the brightness of
their eyes.

Q18.What kind of locality does Mukesh live in?

Answer:Mukesh lives in a very dirty locality. The lanes there are stinking and
choked with garbage. The homes in the locality are no better than hovels.
Their walls are crumbling, doors are wobbly and there are no windows. There
humans and animals live together.

Question 19.
What does the author say about Mukesh’s house?
Answer:The author says that Mukesh’s house was like a half- built shack. In
part of, thatched with dead grass, was a firewood stove. The author saw
Mukesh’s sister-in-law cooking food for the whole family.

Q20.What is the opinion of Mukesh’s grandmother about her husband?

Answer:Mukesh’s grandmother says that it is his (her husband’s) destiny that
he was born in the family of bangle makers. She calls it a god-given lineage
which can’t be broken. This shows that she has accepted her fate silently.

Q 21.What does the writer say about Savita?

Answer:Savita was a young girl. When the writer saw her she was wearing
pink dress. She was sitting with an elderly woman. She was soldering pieces
of glass. But she didn’t know the sanctity of bangles she was weilding.

Q 22.Why can’t the bangle makers organise themselves into a co-operative?

Answer:The bangle makers can’t organise themselves into co-operative
because they have fallen into a vicious circle of middlemen who had trapped
their fathers and forefathers. If they get organised, they are beaten and
dragged to jail for doing something wrong.

Q23.What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where
has he come from?
Answer:Saheb is looking for a coin or even a ten-rupee note from the garbage
dump. He lives in Seemapuri (Delhi). His parents came from Bangladesh in
1971.

Q 24.What expectations does the author offer for the children not wearing
footwear?
Answer:Most of the rag pickers roam about bare-footed in the streets. These
children are so poor that they can’t afford to buy any footwear. But they told
the author that it was their tradition to move about bare footed.

Q 25.Is it Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.

Answer:Saheb starts working at a tea stall. He is paid 800 rupees per month
and he is provided all his meals. Even then Saheb is not happy working at the
tea stall. He no longer remains his own master.

Q26.What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Answer:The city of Firozabad is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry. In
this city almost every family is engaged in making bangles. These bangles are
sent to every part of India.

Q 27.Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?

Answer:Working in the glass bangle industry has both mental and physical
hazards. Mostly children are engaged in this industry. When they grow up,
working in the industry for years, they lose the ability to dream. There are
many physical hazards of working in this industry. The children have a very
bad effect on their eyes. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than light
outside. That is why they often end up losing their eyesight before they
become adults.

Q28.How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Answer:Mukesh doesn’t want to adopt his family’s profession of bangle
making. This profession has in no way helped them to live a comfortable life.
Therefore he has decided to become a car mechanic. He will go to a garage
and learn.

Q 29.What could be some of the reasons for the mi-gration of people from
villages to cities?
Answer:The villagers migrate to the cities because of the economic reasons;
They come to cities to find better employment opportunities. In the given text
Saheb’s ancestors migrated to Delhi from Bangladesh. Their fields and homes
were frequently swept by storms. They had nothing to eat. That’s why they
left their beautiful land.

Q 30.Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept?
Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Answer: It is true that promises made to poor children are rarely kept. The
narrator, who is an affluent lady, promised Saheb that she would build a
school. But she herself admits that she had made this promise half-jokingly.
Thus we can well imagine that promises made to poor children are seldom or
never kept.

Q 31.What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of

Firozabad in poverty?
Answer:There are many forces that conspire to keep the workers in the
bangle industry in perpetual poverty. They are caught in the vicious circle of
the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the
bureaucrats and the politicians. The bangle makers are trapped by these
forces and they are not allowed to organise themselves and form a co-
operative.

Q 32.How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?

Answer:Mukesh has decided to become a car mechanic. He doesn’t want to
adopt his family’s profession. He wants to become a car mechanic. He says
that he will go to a garage and learn. The garage is quite far away from his
home. But he is firm in determination. “I will walk,” says he.

Q 33.Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Answer:Child labour is a slur on the fair face of our society. It is a very cruel
practice. Every child has the right to education. By educating children this evil
practice can be stopped. The government has already framed the law that
every child between the age of 6 —14 must attend school. However this law is
not strictly followed. Social awareness can play a very effective role in this
direction.

Q 34.Where had the rag pickers come from? What value of life had been
conveyed through their condition?
Answer:The rag pickers had come from Dhaka. There they had green fields.
But there were many storms that swept away their homes and fields.
Therefore they had to leave their country and come to Delhi. In Delhi they are
living a very hard life. They are living in Seemapuri, a place at the periphery
of Delhi. There they are living in the structures of mud, with roofs of tin and
tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water.The value of life
conveyed through their condition is that every government should take care
of their people. They should be provided better employment opportunities so
that they are not compelled to migrate to other country. In this lesson it been
shown that the indifferent attitude of the Bangladeshi government has
compelled its citizens to migrate to India.

Q 35.What does the writer want Saheb to do? She has to feel embarrassed
later. Why?
Answer:Saheb is a rag picker. The writer sees him every morning. One day,
the writer advised him to go to school. Saheb told her that there was no
school in the neighbourhood. He further said that when one would be
constructed, he would definitely go. The writer asked him, half-jokingly, if she
started a school would he come.Saheb replied in affirmative. After some days
Saheb came running to her and said to her, “Is your school ready?” the Writer
had to feel embarrassed at this because she had made a promise that was
not meant.The writer wants to say promises are made to the poor but they
are never fulfilled. She shows this fact by giving her own example.

Q36.Give a brief account of the life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-
Alam settled in Seemapuri.
Answer: Seemapuri is located on the periphery of Delhi. It is a slum area.
About 10,000 people live there. They all are ragpickers and have come from
Bangladesh in 1971. They are living in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and
tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. They have lived there
for many years without permits but with ration cards that get their names
placed on voter lists and enable them to buy grain. Food is more important for
survival than an identity.Wherever they find food they pitch their tents that
become their transit homes. They are involved in ragpicking. It has acquired
the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a
roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof. For children, garbage is a
thing wrapped in wonder. They often scrounge it to find some coins. On the
whole we can say that the people living there are living a very hard life.

Q36.Where did the writer see Saheb one winter morning? What was he doing?
What was he wearing in his feet?
Answer:The writer saw Saheb standing at the fenced gate of the
neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in white, playing
tennis. Saheb liked tennis but he knew that game was beyond his reach.
However he used to go inside when no one was around. The gatekeeper
allowed him to use the swing.The writer saw Saheb wearing tennis shoes .
That looked strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts. Someone had given
them to Saheb. In fact they were the discarded shoes of some rich boy. He
had stopped them wearing because of a hole in one of them. But Saheb who
always walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole was a dream come true.

Q37.“For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of

survival.” What kind of life do the ragpickers of Seemapuri lived?
Answer:The ragpickers lived in the area of Seemapuri located at the periphery
of Delhi. Those who live here are the Bangladeshi immigrants. They came
here way back in 1971. Seemapuri was then a wilderness. It still is but it is no
longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of
sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 rag pickers. They have been
living here without any identity. They have their names in the voter lists and
they have got their ration cards. It enables to buy them grain.Survival in
Seemapuri is ragpicking. For the elders ragpicking is their profession and
means of livelihood. But for the children it is even more. For them it is a sort
of wonder. They would sometimes get a coin or even a ten-rupee note in the
garbage. They consider ragpicking an activity full of fun and excitement.
Q38.‘Garbage to them is gold; How do the rag pickers of Seemapuri survive?
Answer:About 10,000 Bangladeshi immigrants live in the Seemapuri area of
Delhi. Seemapuri is located at the periphery of Delhi. It is a wilderness. The
rag pickers live in the structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin,
devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. They have been living here
without any identity. They have their names in the voter lists and they have
got their ration cards.It enables to buy them grain. Survival in Seemapuri is
ragpicking. They do not know no other profession but rag picking. They left
their beautiful land of green fields because there were frequent storms and as
a result their houses and fields would swept away due to them. As a result
they had to starve. They pitched their tents wherever they find food. They
could earn their food only by ragpicking.

Q39.What do you know about the city of Firozabad?

Answer:Firozabad is the centre of,bangle making industry in India. All over in
India the bangles are supplied from this city. But there is a dark side of this
city also. Firozabad is a very dirty city. Every other family in Firozabad is
engaged in making bangles. They have been engaged in this profession for
many generations. Even then these people always remain poor. The children
are also involved in making bangles. They are forced to work for long hours in
very hot temperatures. They have to work in dingy cells without air and light.
They often lose the brightness of their eyes.The bangle makers are caught in
the vicious circle of sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of
law, the bureaucrats and the politicians. They are beaten and put to jails if
they try to organise themselves. Also the bangle makers are very poor. The
young men are forced to adopt their elders’ profession. Years of mind-
numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream.In this extract
the writer has depicted that picture of Firozabad which perhaps is not known
to many other parts of India.

Q40.How in your views can Mukesh realise his dream?

Answer:Mukesh is very different from the other members of his family. All the
members of his family have subsided themselves to the profession of bangle
making and considered it their destiny. But Mukesh wants to break these
shackles of bangle making. He knows that the profession of bangle making
has given them nothing but poverty. Therefore he wanted to become a car
mechanic.He hoped to alleviate the poverty of his family in this way. The
garage is quite far away from his home. But he is determined to fulfil his
dream. He says that he will walk all the way to the garage. This shows that
Mukesh is quite a rebellious and determined boy. He wants to break away
with his family profession of bangle making.

Q41.It is illegal to employ children in the bangle industry. Even then many
children are employed in this industry in Firozabad. How?
Answer:It is illegal to employ children in any industry in India. It is a
punishable offence. But it is seen that this law is not followed or rarely
followed. The children work for very less wages. They are very submissive and
agile. They give almost the same or even more production as compared to
adult workers. Therefore most of the factory owners prefer to employ children
in their factories.They are often able to deceive law. The reason is very clear.
The vicious circle follows. There are policemen, middlemen, keepers of law,
bureaucrats and also politicians. They all are mixed up to keep tender souls in
the quagmire of hard labour. They kill all the initiative and zeal of the
children. They become so. discouraged that they quietly accept all this a part
of their destiny.

Q42.The bangle makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles and make

everyone happy but they themselves live and die in squalor. Explain.
Answer: In Firozabad, almost every family is involved in the business of
bangle making. Firozabad is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry. The
families here have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass,
making bangles for all the women in the land. But these bangle makers are
very poor. They can’t earn enough to afford even two square of meals.Even
the children are forced to live in dingy cells without air and light. About
20,000 children work in the glass-blowing industry. They are forced to work
for very long hours and also in very inhuman conditions. They often lose the
brightness of their eyes. The bangle makers live a very miserable life. Though
they make everyone happy by making beautiful bangles, they themselves live
and die in very deplorable condition.

Q 43.Why does the author say that the bangle-makers are caught in a vicious
web?
Answer:The author says that bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web
because they are not able to form co-operative societies for their betterment
and are forced to follow and obey sahukars and policemen.

Q44.Who is Mukesh? What is his dream?

Answer:Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad. He dreams of
becoming a motor mechanic and a car driver. In fact, he insists on becoming
his own master.

Q45.Why could the bangle-makers not organise themselves into a co-

operative?
Answer:Most of the young bangle-makers have fallen into the trap of the
middlemen. They are also afraid of the police. They know that the police will
haul them up, beat them and drag to jail for doing something illegal. There is no
leader among them to help them see things differently.

Q 46.What does the writer mean when she says, ‘Saheb is no longer his own
master’?
Answer:The writer meant that till Saheb was a ragpicker, he was a carefree
boy, who would work, have time for himself and enjoy the work he was doing.
But from the time he had started working in a stall with others supervising his
work, he changed. He had to become responsible and could not be free like
earlier. He was no longer his own master.

Q47.What does the title ‘Lost Spring’ convey?

Answer:Spring is associated with childhood. Like spring, a child blooms in
childhood. However, abject poverty and thoughtless traditions result in the loss
of child-like innocence and much needed education. Millions of children like
Saheb and Mukesh lose the spring in their lives because they are compelled to
do hazardous work to provide a living for their family and themselves. Thus, the
title brings out the dejected life of the child labourers and their deprivation of
the blessings of childhood.

Q48.What is the condition of the children working in the glass furnaces of

Firozabad?
Answer:More than 20,000 children illegally work in the glass blowing factories
in Firozabad. They work around furnaces in high temperature to weld glasses.
They work in dingy cells without light and air. Their eyes are adjusted more to
the dark than to the light outside. They work all day long. Many of them lose
their eyesight before they become adults.

Q49.Why don’t the younger ones of the bangle-makers do anything else?

Answer:The years of mind numbing and hard toil kill the desire of making new
attempts to improve their condition and the ability to dream. In Firozabad, doing
any other work needs rebellion, strong will and the determination of the bangle-
makers to do something go along with the family tradition because of lack of
awareness, education and opportunities.

Q50.What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
Answer:For elders of Seemapuri, since they are ragpickers, garbage is a
means of survival. However, to the children of Seemapuri, garbage is wrapped
in wonder. Sometimes, they expect to find a coin, which raises their hope of
finding more.

Q51.What does Saheb look for in the garbage dumps?

Answer:Saheb looks for some silver coins or currency note. It is as valuable as
gold for him.

Q52.“It is his karam, his destiny”. What is Mukesh’s family’s attitude towards
their situation?
Answer:Mukesh’s grandmother regards it as their destiny. She says that they
were born in the caste of bangle-makers and have seen nothing but bangles in
their lives. Mukesh’s family had mutely accepted it as their destiny and had
stopped taking any initiative to change their fate.
Q53.How is the bangle industry of Firozabad a curse for the bangle-makers?
Answer:Men have to work in dingy cells without air and light. As a result, they
lose the brightness of their eyes and go blind with the dust from polishing the
glass bangles. They are also exploited by moneylenders, police, bureaucrats
and politicians. They live in a state of intense poverty and have to go without
food for days. Therefore, it is a curse for them.

Q54.Describe the irony in Saheb’s name.

Answer:Saheb’s full name is Saheb-e-Alam which means ‘Lord of the
Universe’. But in stark contrast to his name, Saheb is poverty-stricken,
barefoot, homeless ragpicker who scrounges the garbage dumps of Delhi for
his livelihood. His name is in total contrast to his very existence and is thus,
ironical.

Q55.What does the reference to chappals in ‘Lost Spring’ tell us about the
economic condition of the ragpickers?
Answer:The ragpickers were extremely poor. They did not have any money to
buy chappals. They were poor and impoverished. They lived a hand-to-mouth
existence. They were exploited and had no other work to do. They did not have
a house to live in too.

Q56.“Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds…” In the context of Mukesh,

the bangle- maker’s son, which two worlds is Anees Jung referring to?
Answer:The author, Anees Jung very distinctly sees the two worlds of the
bangle-makers and the makers of the society. On one side exists the poverty-
stricken families burdened by the stigma of caste, illiteracy, pall and gloom,
while on the other side, there is the sahukars, middlemen, policemen, keepers
of law and the bureaucrats, who ensure that these poor people continue to be
entangled in the vicious circle of poverty. Both these worlds are in stark
contrast to each other.

Q57Why did Saheb’s parents leave Dhaka and migrate to India?

Answer:Saheb’s parents belonged to Dhaka in Bangladesh, where they lived
amidst green fields. They and the other ragpickers left their homes many years
ago and migrated to India in search of a livelihood, as their homes and fields
were destroyed in storms. This forced them to come to India, where they
settled in the slums of Seemapuri.

Q58.What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?

Answer:Saheb took up work at a tea stall, where he had to perform several odd
jobs, including
getting milk from the milk booth. He was not happy, as he had lost his
independence. Though he earned ? 800 and got all his meals free, he was no
longer his own master.
Q59.Whom does Anees Jung blame for the sorry plight of the bangle-makers?
Answer:Anees Jung blames the middlemen, the policemen, the lawmakers, the
bureaucrats and the politicians for the sorry plight of the bangle-makers. These
people conspire and exploit the poor bangle-makers. They pay them meagre
wages, do not let them form co-operatives, and compel their children to join the
same trade at an early age.

Q60.What was Mukesh’s dream? In your opinion, did he achieve his dream?
Answer:Mukesh’s dream was to become a motor-mechanic. It is no doubt
difficult for Mukesh to achieve his dream, as he is torn between his desires and
his family tradition, which he cannot escape. Besides, he has to face a number
of obstacles in the form of sahukars, middlemen, bureaucrats, lawmakers,
politicians, etc. However, his will to work hard, and his strong determination
could make him achieve his dream.

Q61.In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children,
they are not devoid of hope. How far do you agree?
Answer:In spite of growing up amidst despair and disease, children who live in
the slum have the desire to achieve something big in life like Mukesh. This
shows that they are not devoid of hope. Saheb, a ragpicker, is eager to go to a
school and learn. Mukesh, who , works in dark, dingy cells, dreams of
becoming a motor mechanic, which is very much against his family tradition.

Q 62.Was Saheb happy working at the tea stall?

Answer:No, Saheb was not happy working at the tea stall. He had lost his
carefree look. He was less contented as he was burdened with responsibilities.
The rag-picking plastic bag though heavy, seemed lighter than the steel
canister.

Q 63.How is Mukesh more ambitious in life than Saheb? Give a reasoned

answer.
ORHow is Mukesh’s attitude towards his situation different from that of Saheb?
Why?
Answer:Mukesh is definitely more ambitious than Saheb. Unlike most of his
friends in Firozabad, Mukesh did not want to follow the profession of making
bangles. No one else could dare to think of breaking the conventional style of
living. Mukesh dreamt of becoming a motor mechanic. He had already decided
to go to a garage and learn about cars. Though the garage was a long way
from his home, he was prepared to walk that distance. He insisted on
becoming his own master.Saheb, on the other hand, had sacrificed his
freedom as a ragpicker to take up a salaried job that would pay him 800 rupees
and give him all his meals. Now, he was no longer his own master. He had lost
his carefree look (which he had when he was a ragpicker). The can that he
carried seemed heavier than the bag he carried as a ragpicker, for this job was
not to his liking.

Q64.The barefoot ragpickers of Seemapuri live on the periphery of Delhi, yet

metaphorically speaking, miles away from it. Comment
Answer:The barefoot ragpickers of Seemapuri live on the periphery of Delhi,
yet metaphorically speaking, miles away from it, sums up the true condition of
the ragpickers of Seemapuri. Seemapuri is a slum area, which houses
approximately 10,000 ragpickers. They live in mud houses with roofs of tin and
tarpaulin. There is no sewage, drainage or running water. They came here
from Bangladesh in 1971 and have been living here ever since without any
identity of their own or permits, but they have ration cards and their names
figure in the voter’s list.Women wear tattered saris. Survival in Seemapuri
means ragpicking. This is an example of the gross negligence and apathy of
the Delhi Government. It has failed to do anything for them. Though Seemapuri
is so close to Delhi, almost on its periphery, but the glitter and glamour
advantages like education,proper facilities for living a clean and decent life are
beyond the reach of these slum dwellers of Seemapuri, which is so close to
Delhi, yet so far.

Q65.The bangle-makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles and make

everyone happy, but they live and die in squalor. Elaborate.
Answer:The bangle-makers of Firozabad live in utter poverty, generation after
generation. They believe that they are the people who are destined to work as
glass bangle- makers. They make beautiful bangles for women, but they live in
the dark. The workers have to look at the hot bright furnaces while polishing
bangles. While welding pieces of coloured glass into bangles, they have no
other option but are forced to sit near flickering lamps. Hence, they are forced
to stay in dark room huts and their eyes are not in a position to see the daylight
outside. They become blind quite early in life. They are in a vicious circle
tossed around by moneylenders, middlemen and politicians. Instead of helping
them, the law enforcing authorities only prey on them.

Q66.Give a brief account of the life and activities of people like Saheb-e-Alam
settled in Seemapuri.
Answer:Saheb is a poor boy belonging to a refugee family from Bangladesh.
His family came to Delhi and settled in the trans-Yamuna area called
Seemapuri. Here, they have no work to do. They pick garbage for their
livelihood. Saheb also, like others, looks and searches the garbage dumps for
some coins.They leave their houses in the morning with a bag on their back to
collect something from the garbage. They remain barefoot. It has become their
habit not to wear any footwear. The families like Saheb’s left behind a life of
abject poverty in flood-hit areas of Bangladesh and came to India. They move
to big cities in the hope of getting some work. In the absence of work, they
begin ragpicking.

Q 67.‘Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn
thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
Answer:Yes, I fully agree that ‘Lost Spring’ explains abject poverty. Saheb-e-
Alam came along with his family from Bangladesh to Delhi. His family settled
on the banks of the Yamuna river. Here, they have no work to do and no house
to live in. So they began the work of ragpicking. His family lives a hand-to-
mouth existence. Thus, this lesson deals with the plight of street children like
Saheb-e-Alam, and Mukesh of Firozabad working in a glass bangle factory.
The children of such families are forced to labour early in life and denied the
opportunities of going to school. These children are trapped in the vicious circle
of social stigma, tradition, poverty and exploitation. Thus, the title of the story
rightly explains and brings out the depravity of child labour in our country.

Q68.What contrast do you notice between the colour of the bangles and the
atmosphere of the place where these bangles are made?
Answer:The dusty streets of Firozabad, the bangle-making district, are
overflowing with garbage and the stink is overwhelming. The hovels where the
bangle-makers dwell have walls that are crumbling down, with unstable doors
and no windows. The conditions are so terrible that families of humans and
animals live together.The drabness and lack of colour in the lives of these
people contrast starkly with the colour of the bangles which lie everywhere
“sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink, purple, every colour born out of the
seven colours of the rainbow”. The unhappiness and tedium in the lives of the
bangle-makers contrasts the joy and merriment that their bangles will bring to
the women who will buy and wear them.

Q69.What did the writer see when Mukesh took her to his home?
Answer:The writer realised that it was a slum area. The lanes were stinking
and were choked with garbage. The homes looked like hovels. Their walls
were crumbling. The doors were wobbly, with no windows. The homes were
crowded with humans and animals living together. Mukesh’s home looked like
a half-built shack. In one of its parts, a firewood stove had a large vessel on it.A
frail young woman cooked the evening meal. She was the wife of Mukesh’s
elder brother. As Mukesh’s father came in, she brought her veil closer to her
face. The old man was a poor bangle-maker. Even after long years of hard
labour, he had been unable to renovate his house. He was unable to send his
two sons to school. Mukesh’s grandmother was also there. Her husband had
become blind with dust from the polishing of glass bangles.

Q70Describe the difficulties the bangle-makers of Firozabad have to face in

their lives.
OR
Describe the circumstances which keep the workers in the bangle industry in
poverty.
Answer:The bangle-makers of Firozabad live in utter poverty generation after
generation. They believe that they are the people who are destined to work as
glass bangle-makers. They make beautiful bangles for women but they live in
dark. The workers have to look at the hot bright furnaces while polishing
bangles. While welding pieces of coloured glass into bangles, they have no
other option but are forced to sit near flickering lamps. Hence, they are forced
to stay in a dark room and their eyes are not in a position to see the daylight
outside. They become blind even before they become adults. Their life is
embroiled in a web that is created by the moneylenders, middlemen and
politicians. Instead of helping them, the law enforcing authorities only prey
upon their misfortunes.

Q71.For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of

survival.” What kind of life do the ragpickers of Seemapuri lead?
Answer:Seemapuri is on the outskirts of Delhi, comprising migrants from
Bangladesh, who survived by way of ragpicking. These refugees, who settled
down here in 1971 have no amenities of sewage, drainage or running water
and is unlike the life of glitter and glamour in Delhi. Poverty prevails here from
corner to corner. Ragpicking is the only means of survival for them and at times
it assumes proportions of fine art. For the children of course it proves to be fun
and they scrounge through the garbage to discover valuables in them.Saheb,
the main character has resigned to this life. The dwellers here live in mud
houses, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. For all these years, they have had no
identity, no permits yet possess ration cards and have their names in the
voter’s list. All of them know that garbage would ensure their daily bread and a
roof above their head.

Q72.What change do you find in Saheb’s life when he stops ragpicking and
starts working at a tea stall?
Answer:When Saheb started working at the tea stall, his face lost the carefree
look which he used to have when he was a rag picker. He was no longer his
own master now. He had to do what the owner of the tea stall asked him to do.
He carried heavy metal canisters, instead of light plastic bags and these
canisters were not even his own. The plastic bags were his own. He was not
happy working at the tea stall as he had lost his freedom.

Q73.Do the poor have the right to dream? Why then does the author call
Mukesh’s dream ‘a mirage’?
Answer:
Dream comes naturally, and everybody has a right to it whether rich or poor. It
is true that Mukesh had challenges in life, but he was very optimistic though the
dream was like a mirage for him. He belonged to a family that was in the
marginalised category of the society. He disliked his profession of bangle-
making that blinded children at an early age and gave no proper food or
shelter.He wanted to become a motor mechanic even though he had been
working for years in the bangle-making factory. He knew about the vicious
circle of politicians and middlemen, yet he had a dream to fulfil one day.