Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage’

“Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning

scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps of my neighbourhood.
Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka,
his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms
that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s
why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives.
“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away.
“Go to school,” I say glibly, realising immediately how hollow
the advice must sound.
“There is no school in my neighbourhood. When they build
one, I will go.”
“If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking.
2
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“Yes,” he says, smiling broadly.
A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school
ready?”
“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having
made a promise that was not meant. But promises like mine abound
in every corner of his bleak world.
After months of knowing him, I ask him his name. “Saheb-eAlam,” he announces. He does not
know what it means. If he knew
its meaning — lord of the universe — he would have a hard time
believing it. Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the
streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like
the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I have
come to recognise each of them.
“Why aren’t you wearing chappals?” I ask one.
“My mother did not bring them down from the shelf,” he answers
simply.
“Even if she did he will throw them off,” adds another who is
wearing shoes that do not match. When I comment on it, he shuffles
his feet and says nothing. “I want shoes,” says a third boy who has
never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have
seen children walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads. It is not lack
of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one explanation. I wonder
if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty.
I remember a story a man from Udipi once told me. As a young
boy he would go to school past an old temple, where his father was
a priest. He would stop briefly at the temple and pray for a pair of
shoes. Thirty years later I visited his town and the temple, which
was now drowned in an air of desolation. In the backyard, where
lived the new priest, there were red and white plastic chairs. A young
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Lost Spring/15
boy dressed in a grey uniform, wearing socks and shoes, arrived
panting and threw his school bag on a folding bed. Looking at the
boy, I remembered the prayer another boy had made to the goddess
when he had finally got a pair of shoes, “Let me never lose them.”
The goddess had granted his prayer. Young boys like the son of the
priest now wore shoes. But many others like the ragpickers in my
neighbourhood remain shoeless.
My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to
Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it,
metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters who came from
Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. 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 ragpickers. They have lived
here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits
but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable
them to buy grain. Food is more important for survival than an
identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed our families and go to
bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in
the fields that gave us no grain,” say a group of women in tattered
saris when I ask them why they left their beautiful land of green
fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that
become transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming partners
in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through
the years, 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. But for a child it is even more.
“I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten-rupee note,” Saheb says,
his eyes lighting up. When you can find a silver coin in a heap of
garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is hope of finding
more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different
from what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped
in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.
One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the fenced gate
of the neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in
white, playing tennis. “I like the game,” he hums, content to watch
it standing behind the fence. “I go inside when no one is around,”
he admits. “The gatekeeper lets me use the swing.”
Saheb too is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his
discoloured shirt and shorts. “Someone gave them to me,” he says
in the manner of an explanation. The fact that they are discarded
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shoes of some rich boy, who perhaps refused
to wear them because of a hole in one of
them, does not bother him. For one who has
walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is
a dream come true. But the game he is
watching so intently is out of his reach.
This morning, Saheb is on his way to
the milk booth. In his hand is a steel
canister. “I now work in a tea
stall down the road,” he says,
pointing in the distance. “I am
paid 800 rupees and all my
meals.” Does he like the job? I
ask. His face, I see, 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. Saheb is
no longer his own master!
“I want to drive a car”
Mukesh insists on being his own master. “I will be a motor
mechanic,” he announces.
“Do you know anything about cars?” I ask.
“I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my
eyes. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that
fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles.
It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing
industry where families have spent
generations working around furnaces,
welding glass, making bangles for all the
women in the land it seems.
Mukesh’s family is among them. None
of them know that it is illegal for children
like him to work in the glass furnaces with
high temperatures, in dingy cells without
air and light; that the law, if enforced,
1. What is Saheb looking for in
the garbage dumps? Where
is he and where has he come
from?
2. What explanations does the
author offer for the children
not wearing footwear?
3. Is Saheb happy working at the
tea-stall? Explain.
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Lost Spring/17
could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces
where they slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of
their eyes. Mukesh’s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home,
which he proudly says is being rebuilt. We walk down stinking lanes
choked with garbage, past homes that remain hovels with crumbling
walls, wobbly doors, no windows, crowded with families of humans
and animals coexisting in a primeval state. He stops at the door of
one such house, bangs a wobbly iron door with his foot, and pushes
it open. We enter a half-built shack. In one part of it, thatched with
dead grass, is a firewood stove over which sits a large vessel of
sizzling spinach leaves. On the ground, in large aluminium platters,
are more chopped vegetables. A frail young woman is cooking the
evening meal for the whole family. Through eyes filled with smoke
she smiles. She is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Not much
older in years, she has begun to command respect as the bahu, the
daughter-in-law of the house, already in charge of three men — her
husband, Mukesh and their father. When the older man enters, she
gently withdraws behind the broken wall and brings her veil closer
to her face. As custom demands, daughters-in-law must veil their
faces before male elders. In this case the elder is an impoverished
bangle maker. Despite long years of hard labour, first as a tailor,
then a bangle maker, he has failed to renovate a house, send his
two sons to school. All he has managed to do is teach them what
he knows — the art of making bangles.
“It is his karam, his destiny,” says Mukesh’s grandmother,
who has watched her own husband go blind with the dust from
polishing the glass of bangles. “Can a god-given lineage ever be
broken?” she implies. Born in the caste of bangle makers, they
have seen nothing but bangles — in the house, in the yard, in
every other house, every other yard, every street in Firozabad.
Spirals of bangles — sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue,
pink, purple, every colour born out of the seven colours of the
rainbow — lie in mounds in unkempt yards, are piled on fourwheeled handcarts, pushed by young
men along the narrow lanes
of the shanty town. And in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of
flickering oil lamps, sit boys and girls with their fathers and mothers,
welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes
are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why
they often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.
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Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits alongside an
elderly woman, soldering pieces of glass. As her hands move
mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows
the sanctity of the bangles she helps make. It symbolises an Indian
woman’s suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage. It will dawn on her
suddenly one day when her head is draped with a red veil, her
hands dyed red with henna, and red bangles rolled onto her wrists.
She will then become a bride. Like the old woman beside her who
became one many years ago. She still has bangles on her wrist, but
no light in her eyes. “Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya,”
she says, in a voice drained of joy. She has not enjoyed even one
full meal in her entire lifetime — that’s what she has reaped! Her
husband, an old man with a flowing beard, says, “I know nothing
except bangles. All I have done is make a house for the family to
live in.”
Hearing him, one wonders if he has achieved what many have
failed in their lifetime. He has a roof over his head!
The cry of not having money to do anything
except carry on the business of making bangles,
not even enough to eat, rings in every home.
The young men echo the lament of their
elders. Little has moved with time,
it seems, in Firozabad. Years
of mind-numbing toil have
killed all initiative and
the ability to dream.
“Why not organise
yourselvesintoa
cooperative?” I ask a
group of young men
who have fallen into the
vicious circle of
middlemen who
trapped their
fathers and
forefathers.
“Even if we get
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Lost Spring/19
organised, we are the ones who will be hauled up by the police,
beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal,” they say.
There is no leader among them, no one who could help them see
things differently. Their fathers are as tired as they are. They talk
endlessly in a spiral that moves from poverty to apathy to greed
and to injustice.
Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds— one of the family,
caught in a web of poverty, burdened by the stigma of caste in
which they are born; the other a vicious circle of the sahukars, the
middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats
and the politicians. Together they have imposed the baggage on the
child that he cannot put down. Before he is aware, he accepts it as
naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean to dare. And
daring is not part of his growing up. When I sense a flash of it in
Mukesh I am cheered. “I want to be a motor mechanic,’ he repeats.
He will go to a garage and learn. But the garage is a long way from
his home. “I will walk,” he insists. “Do
you also dream of flying a plane?” He is
suddenly silent. “No,” he says, staring
at the ground. In his small murmur
there is an embarrassment that has not
yet turned into regret. He is content to
dream of cars that he sees hurtling down
the streets of his town. Few airplanes fly
over Firozabad.
Understanding the text
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages
to cities?
2. 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?
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of
Firozabad in poverty?
Talking about the text
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
1. What makes the city of
Firozabad famous?
2. Mention the hazards of working
in the glass bangles industry.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his
situation different from that of
his family?
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Thinking about language
Although this text speaks of factual events and situations of misery it
transforms these situations with an almost poetical prose into a literary
experience. How does it do so? Here are some literary devices:
• Hyperbole is a way of speaking or writing that makes something sound
better or more exciting than it really is. For example: Garbage to them
is gold.
• A Metaphor, as you may know, compares two things or ideas that are
not very similar. A metaphor describes a thing in terms of a single
quality or feature of some other thing; we can say that a metaphor
“transfers” a quality of one thing to another. For example: The road
was a ribbon of light.
• Simile is a word or phrase that compares one thing with another using
the words “like” or “as”. For example: As white as snow.
Carefully read the following phrases and sentences taken from the text. Can
you identify the literary device in each example?
1. Saheb-e-Alam which means the lord of the universe is directly in contrast
to what Saheb is in reality.
2. Drowned in an air of desolation.
3. Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it,
metaphorically.
4. For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of
survival.
5. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine,
I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make.
6. She still has bangles on her wrist, but not light in her eyes.
7. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
8. Web of poverty.
9. Scrounging for gold.
10. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has
acquired the proportions of a fine art.
11. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so
lightly over his shoulders.

answer all the questions , talking thru the text, understanding the test. use simple language. no ai
Here are the answers to your questions, using simple language:
Talking about the text
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come
from? Saheb is looking for "gold" in the garbage dumps, which means anything valuable
like a Rupee or a ten-rupee note. He is currently in a neighborhood in the big city where the
author lives. He has come from Dhaka, Bangladesh, because storms swept away his family's
fields and homes.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear? The
author offers two explanations:
• One boy says his mother didn't bring his chappals (sandals) down from the shelf.
• Another explanation given by someone else is that it's not a lack of money but a
tradition to stay barefoot. The author, however, wonders if this is just an excuse for
poverty.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain. No, Saheb is not happy working at the
tea-stall. The author notices that his face has lost its "carefree look." The steel canister he
carries feels heavier than his old plastic bag, and the author points out that the bag was his
but the canister belongs to the tea shop owner. This shows he is no longer his own master
and has lost his freedom.
Understanding the text
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
People migrate from villages to cities for various reasons, as seen in the text:
• Natural Disasters: Storms sweeping away homes and fields, as in Saheb's case.
 • Lack of Food/Livelihood: The women in Seemapuri say they left their land because
it gave them no grain, and they can feed their families in the city. They are looking
for "gold" (survival) in the big city.
• Hope for Better Opportunities: Even if it's just finding a rupee in the garbage,
there's a hope of finding more and surviving.
2. 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? Yes, I would agree that promises
made to poor children are rarely kept. In the text, the author half-jokingly offers to start a
school for Saheb, but then feels embarrassed because it was a promise not meant to be kept.
This happens because:
• Impracticality: The promises are often made glibly or without real thought to the
difficulties of fulfilling them.
• Differences in Worlds: The people making the promises often come from a different
world of privilege and don't fully understand the harsh realities and obstacles faced
by the poor.
• Lack of Resources/Commitment: Building a school, for example, requires
significant resources and commitment that the individual might not have.
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty? Several forces conspire to keep the bangle workers in Firozabad in poverty:
• Caste and Tradition: They are born into the caste of bangle makers, and it's
considered their "destiny" or "karam" (fate) to continue this work. Breaking away
from it is seen as going against their lineage.
• Exploitation by Middlemen and Others: There's a "vicious circle" of sahukars
(moneylenders), middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats, and politicians. If the workers
try to organize, they are hauled up by the police and put in jail, showing how these
powerful groups keep them down.
• Lack of Leadership and Initiative: Years of hard labor have killed their initiative
and ability to dream beyond their current situation. There is "no leader among them,
no one who could help them see things differently."
• Dangerous Working Conditions: The work itself is hazardous, leading to loss of
eyesight and health issues, which further traps them as they cannot easily find other
work.
• Poverty Cycle: They are so poor that they can't afford to do anything else but make
bangles, not even enough to eat properly. This perpetuates the cycle.
Understanding the text (continued from the extract)
1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous? The city of Firozabad is famous for its
bangles. It is the center of India's glass-blowing industry.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. The hazards of working in
the glass bangles industry are:
 • Working in glass furnaces with high temperatures.
• Working in dingy cells without air and light.
• Often losing the brightness of their eyes, or even becoming blind, due to the dust
from polishing glass and the lack of light.
• Eyes becoming more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside, leading to loss of
eyesight before adulthood.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family? Mukesh's
attitude is different because he has a dream and initiative, unlike his family who seem to
have given up hope.
• His family, including his grandmother, believes it's their "god-given lineage" and
"destiny" to make bangles, and they see no way out. Years of toil have "killed all
initiative and the ability to dream" for them.
• Mukesh, however, "insists on being his own master" and says, "I will be a motor
mechanic." He is willing to walk a long way to a garage to learn, showing his
determination. He dares to dream beyond the traditional family occupation.
Thinking about language
Here are the literary devices identified in each example:
1. Saheb-e-Alam which means the lord of the universe is directly in contrast to what
Saheb is in reality. This is an example of Irony.
2. Drowned in an air of desolation. This is a Metaphor. (The temple isn't literally drowned in
air, but enveloped in a feeling of emptiness).
3. Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.
This explicitly states it's a Metaphor.
4. For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of survival. This is
a Contrast or Juxtaposition.
5. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the
sanctity of the bangles she helps make. This is a Simile (using "like the tongs of a
machine").
6. She still has bangles on her wrist, but not light in her eyes. This is a Metaphor (light in
her eyes refers to hope/joy/vibrancy, not actual light). It could also be seen as Contrast.
7. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad. This is a Factual statement, but in the context of
Mukesh's limited dreams, it hints at the limited opportunities in Firozabad. It's not strictly a
literary device in itself, but it contributes to the overall theme.
8. Web of poverty. This is a Metaphor.
9. Scrounging for gold. This is a Metaphor (referring to finding valuable items, not literal
gold). It could also be considered Hyperbole if emphasizing the extreme value they place on
small finds.
 [Link] survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the
proportions of a fine art. This is a Metaphor and also Hyperbole (calling rag-picking a
"fine art" exaggerates its importance and the skill involved for survival).
[Link] steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his
shoulders. This is a Metaphor (the "heaviness" represents the loss of his carefree life and
freedom, not just physical weight). It can also be seen as a Contrast between his past and
present.

Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage’

“Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning
scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps of my neighbourhood.
Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka,
his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms
that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s
why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives.
“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away.
“Go to school,” I say glibly, realising immediately how hollow
the advice must sound.
“There is no school in my neighbourhood. When they build
one, I will go.”
“If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking.
2
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14/Flamingo
“Yes,” he says, smiling broadly.
A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school
ready?”
“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having
made a promise that was not meant. But promises like mine abound
in every corner of his bleak world.
After months of knowing him, I ask him his name. “Saheb-eAlam,” he announces. He does not
know what it means. If he knew
its meaning — lord of the universe — he would have a hard time
believing it. Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the
streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like
the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I have
come to recognise each of them.
“Why aren’t you wearing chappals?” I ask one.
“My mother did not bring them down from the shelf,” he answers
simply.
“Even if she did he will throw them off,” adds another who is
wearing shoes that do not match. When I comment on it, he shuffles
his feet and says nothing. “I want shoes,” says a third boy who has
never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have
seen children walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads. It is not lack
of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one explanation. I wonder
if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty.
I remember a story a man from Udipi once told me. As a young
boy he would go to school past an old temple, where his father was
a priest. He would stop briefly at the temple and pray for a pair of
shoes. Thirty years later I visited his town and the temple, which
was now drowned in an air of desolation. In the backyard, where
lived the new priest, there were red and white plastic chairs. A young
Reprint 2025-26
Lost Spring/15
boy dressed in a grey uniform, wearing socks and shoes, arrived
panting and threw his school bag on a folding bed. Looking at the
boy, I remembered the prayer another boy had made to the goddess
when he had finally got a pair of shoes, “Let me never lose them.”
The goddess had granted his prayer. Young boys like the son of the
priest now wore shoes. But many others like the ragpickers in my
neighbourhood remain shoeless.
My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to
Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it,
metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters who came from
Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. 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 ragpickers. They have lived
here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits
but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable
them to buy grain. Food is more important for survival than an
identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed our families and go to
bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in
the fields that gave us no grain,” say a group of women in tattered
saris when I ask them why they left their beautiful land of green
fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that
become transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming partners
in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through
the years, 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. But for a child it is even more.
“I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten-rupee note,” Saheb says,
his eyes lighting up. When you can find a silver coin in a heap of
garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is hope of finding
more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different
from what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped
in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.
One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the fenced gate
of the neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in
white, playing tennis. “I like the game,” he hums, content to watch
it standing behind the fence. “I go inside when no one is around,”
he admits. “The gatekeeper lets me use the swing.”
Saheb too is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his
discoloured shirt and shorts. “Someone gave them to me,” he says
in the manner of an explanation. The fact that they are discarded
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16/Flamingo
shoes of some rich boy, who perhaps refused
to wear them because of a hole in one of
them, does not bother him. For one who has
walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is
a dream come true. But the game he is
watching so intently is out of his reach.
This morning, Saheb is on his way to
the milk booth. In his hand is a steel
canister. “I now work in a tea
stall down the road,” he says,
pointing in the distance. “I am
paid 800 rupees and all my
meals.” Does he like the job? I
ask. His face, I see, 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. Saheb is
no longer his own master!
“I want to drive a car”
Mukesh insists on being his own master. “I will be a motor
mechanic,” he announces.
“Do you know anything about cars?” I ask.
“I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my
eyes. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that
fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles.
It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing
industry where families have spent
generations working around furnaces,
welding glass, making bangles for all the
women in the land it seems.
Mukesh’s family is among them. None
of them know that it is illegal for children
like him to work in the glass furnaces with
high temperatures, in dingy cells without
air and light; that the law, if enforced,
1. What is Saheb looking for in
the garbage dumps? Where
is he and where has he come
from?
2. What explanations does the
author offer for the children
not wearing footwear?
3. Is Saheb happy working at the
tea-stall? Explain.
Reprint 2025-26
Lost Spring/17
could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces
where they slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of
their eyes. Mukesh’s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home,
which he proudly says is being rebuilt. We walk down stinking lanes
choked with garbage, past homes that remain hovels with crumbling
walls, wobbly doors, no windows, crowded with families of humans
and animals coexisting in a primeval state. He stops at the door of
one such house, bangs a wobbly iron door with his foot, and pushes
it open. We enter a half-built shack. In one part of it, thatched with
dead grass, is a firewood stove over which sits a large vessel of
sizzling spinach leaves. On the ground, in large aluminium platters,
are more chopped vegetables. A frail young woman is cooking the
evening meal for the whole family. Through eyes filled with smoke
she smiles. She is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Not much
older in years, she has begun to command respect as the bahu, the
daughter-in-law of the house, already in charge of three men — her
husband, Mukesh and their father. When the older man enters, she
gently withdraws behind the broken wall and brings her veil closer
to her face. As custom demands, daughters-in-law must veil their
faces before male elders. In this case the elder is an impoverished
bangle maker. Despite long years of hard labour, first as a tailor,
then a bangle maker, he has failed to renovate a house, send his
two sons to school. All he has managed to do is teach them what
he knows — the art of making bangles.
“It is his karam, his destiny,” says Mukesh’s grandmother,
who has watched her own husband go blind with the dust from
polishing the glass of bangles. “Can a god-given lineage ever be
broken?” she implies. Born in the caste of bangle makers, they
have seen nothing but bangles — in the house, in the yard, in
every other house, every other yard, every street in Firozabad.
Spirals of bangles — sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue,
pink, purple, every colour born out of the seven colours of the
rainbow — lie in mounds in unkempt yards, are piled on fourwheeled handcarts, pushed by young
men along the narrow lanes
of the shanty town. And in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of
flickering oil lamps, sit boys and girls with their fathers and mothers,
welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes
are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why
they often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.
Reprint 2025-26
18/Flamingo
Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits alongside an
elderly woman, soldering pieces of glass. As her hands move
mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows
the sanctity of the bangles she helps make. It symbolises an Indian
woman’s suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage. It will dawn on her
suddenly one day when her head is draped with a red veil, her
hands dyed red with henna, and red bangles rolled onto her wrists.
She will then become a bride. Like the old woman beside her who
became one many years ago. She still has bangles on her wrist, but
no light in her eyes. “Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya,”
she says, in a voice drained of joy. She has not enjoyed even one
full meal in her entire lifetime — that’s what she has reaped! Her
husband, an old man with a flowing beard, says, “I know nothing
except bangles. All I have done is make a house for the family to
live in.”
Hearing him, one wonders if he has achieved what many have
failed in their lifetime. He has a roof over his head!
The cry of not having money to do anything
except carry on the business of making bangles,
not even enough to eat, rings in every home.
The young men echo the lament of their
elders. Little has moved with time,
it seems, in Firozabad. Years
of mind-numbing toil have
killed all initiative and
the ability to dream.
“Why not organise
yourselvesintoa
cooperative?” I ask a
group of young men
who have fallen into the
vicious circle of
middlemen who
trapped their
fathers and
forefathers.
“Even if we get
Reprint 2025-26
Lost Spring/19
organised, we are the ones who will be hauled up by the police,
beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal,” they say.
There is no leader among them, no one who could help them see
things differently. Their fathers are as tired as they are. They talk
endlessly in a spiral that moves from poverty to apathy to greed
and to injustice.
Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds— one of the family,
caught in a web of poverty, burdened by the stigma of caste in
which they are born; the other a vicious circle of the sahukars, the
middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats
and the politicians. Together they have imposed the baggage on the
child that he cannot put down. Before he is aware, he accepts it as
naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean to dare. And
daring is not part of his growing up. When I sense a flash of it in
Mukesh I am cheered. “I want to be a motor mechanic,’ he repeats.
He will go to a garage and learn. But the garage is a long way from
his home. “I will walk,” he insists. “Do
you also dream of flying a plane?” He is
suddenly silent. “No,” he says, staring
at the ground. In his small murmur
there is an embarrassment that has not
yet turned into regret. He is content to
dream of cars that he sees hurtling down
the streets of his town. Few airplanes fly
over Firozabad.
Understanding the text
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages
to cities?
2. 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?
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of
Firozabad in poverty?
Talking about the text
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
1. What makes the city of
Firozabad famous?
2. Mention the hazards of working
in the glass bangles industry.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his
situation different from that of
his family?
Reprint 2025-26
20/Flamingo
Thinking about language
Although this text speaks of factual events and situations of misery it
transforms these situations with an almost poetical prose into a literary
experience. How does it do so? Here are some literary devices:
• Hyperbole is a way of speaking or writing that makes something sound
better or more exciting than it really is. For example: Garbage to them
is gold.
• A Metaphor, as you may know, compares two things or ideas that are
not very similar. A metaphor describes a thing in terms of a single
quality or feature of some other thing; we can say that a metaphor
“transfers” a quality of one thing to another. For example: The road
was a ribbon of light.
• Simile is a word or phrase that compares one thing with another using
the words “like” or “as”. For example: As white as snow.
Carefully read the following phrases and sentences taken from the text. Can
you identify the literary device in each example?
1. Saheb-e-Alam which means the lord of the universe is directly in contrast
to what Saheb is in reality.
2. Drowned in an air of desolation.
3. Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it,
metaphorically.
4. For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of
survival.
5. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine,
I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make.
6. She still has bangles on her wrist, but not light in her eyes.
7. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
8. Web of poverty.
9. Scrounging for gold.
10. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has
acquired the proportions of a fine art.
11. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so
lightly over his shoulders. Answer
Here are the answers to your questions, in simple language:
Talking about the text
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream? In my opinion, Mukesh can realize
his dream of becoming a motor mechanic if:
• He finds a way to get to the garage consistently, perhaps by finding a place to live
closer or getting help with transport.
• He gets support from someone who believes in his dream, maybe even the author
herself, who could help him find a suitable place to learn.
• He manages to save some money, or find a sponsor, for his training as a mechanic.
• He stays determined and doesn't give up, which he seems to be doing by insisting he
will walk to the garage.
• There's an organization or individual who can help him break away from the
traditional family work without fear of the police or other powerful groups.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. The hazards of working in
the glass bangles industry are:
• Working around very hot furnaces.
• Being in dingy (dark and dirty) rooms without enough fresh air or light.
 • Losing their eyesight or even going blind at a young age, often before they become
adults, because of the dust from polishing glass and working in the dark.
• Their eyes becoming more used to the darkness inside than the light outside.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how? Child labour should be eliminated for
many important reasons:
• It harms children's health and safety: As seen in the bangle industry, it leads to
serious health problems and injuries.
• It stops them from getting an education: Children working cannot go to school,
which means they miss out on learning and opportunities for a better future.
• It traps them in poverty: Without education and skills, they are likely to remain in
low-paying, dangerous jobs, continuing the cycle of poverty for their families.
• It denies them their childhood: Children should be playing, learning, and growing
in a safe environment, not working in hazardous conditions.
• It violates their rights: Child labour is a violation of human rights and international
laws designed to protect children.
Child labour can be eliminated by:
• Strictly enforcing laws against child labour: The government needs to make sure
the laws are followed and punish those who employ children.
• Providing access to free and quality education: If schools are available and good,
children will have a reason to go there instead of work.
• Supporting families out of poverty: Helping parents find better-paying jobs or
providing financial support can reduce the need for children to work.
• Raising awareness: Educating communities about the harms of child labour and the
benefits of education.
• Creating rehabilitation programs: For children already involved in child labour,
providing ways for them to leave work and get an education or vocational training.
• Encouraging cooperatives: Helping workers organize into cooperatives can give
them more power against middlemen and better wages, reducing the need for
children to work.
Understanding the text (continued from the extract)
1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous? The city of Firozabad is famous for making
bangles. It is the main center in India for making things out of glass.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. The dangers of working in
the glass bangle industry include:
• Working in very hot furnaces (ovens).
• Working in small, dark, and airless rooms.
 • Many workers, especially children, lose their eyesight or become blind early in life
because of the glass dust and the constant strain on their eyes from working in dim
light.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family? Mukesh's
attitude is different because he has a personal dream and a strong desire to change his life,
unlike his family. His family believes that making bangles is their destiny (their "karam")
and they seem to have given up on trying to change their situation. They are tired and have
lost the ability to dream due to years of hard work. Mukesh, on the other hand, boldly states,
"I will be a motor mechanic," and is determined to learn even if he has to walk a long way.
He wants to be his "own master," which shows a clear break from the mindset of his family
and the community.

1. What is Saheb looking for in

the garbage dumps? Where
is he and where has he come
from?
2. What explanations does the
author offer for the children
not wearing footwear?
3. Is Saheb happy working at the
tea-stall? Explain.1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages
to cities?
2. 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?
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of
Firozabad in poverty?
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Here are the answers to your questions, in simple language:
From the first set of questions (about Saheb):
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come
from? Saheb is looking for "gold" in the garbage dumps. This means anything valuable he
can find, like a rupee or a ten-rupee note. He is currently in a neighborhood in Delhi. He and
his family came from Dhaka, Bangladesh, because their homes and fields were destroyed by
storms.
 2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear? The
author offers two explanations:
• One boy says his mother didn't bring his chappals (sandals) down from the shelf.
• Another explanation is that it's not about lacking money, but a tradition to stay
barefoot. However, the author wonders if this is just an excuse for their constant
poverty.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain. No, Saheb is not happy working at the
tea-stall. The author notices that he has lost his "carefree look." The steel canister he carries
feels heavier than the plastic bag he used to carry. The author points out that his old bag was
his own, but the canister belongs to the man who owns the tea shop. This shows Saheb is no
longer his own boss and has lost his freedom.
From the second set of questions (general understanding of the text):
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
People move from villages to cities for several reasons, as shown in the story:
• Natural disasters: Like the storms that destroyed Saheb's home and fields in Dhaka.
• Lack of food and livelihood: The women in Seemapuri say they left their land
because it didn't provide enough food, and they can feed their families in the city.
• Hope for a better life: Even if it means scavenging in garbage, there's a hope of
finding something valuable and surviving in the city.
2. 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? Yes, I would agree that promises
made to poor children are often not kept. In the text, the author half-jokingly offers to start a
school for Saheb but then feels bad because it was a promise she didn't mean to keep. This
happens because:
• Promises are made without real thought: People might say things without fully
understanding the effort or resources needed to fulfill them.
• Different realities: The people making promises often come from a more
comfortable life and don't fully understand the difficult situations and many obstacles
faced by poor children.
• Lack of resources or commitment: Building a school, for example, is a huge task
that an individual might not be able to do.
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty? Many things work together to keep the bangle workers in Firozabad poor:
• Caste and tradition: They are born into the bangle-making caste, and it's seen as
their "destiny" to continue this work. Breaking away is very difficult.
• Exploitation: There's a "vicious circle" of moneylenders, middlemen, police, and
politicians. If the workers try to organize themselves, they are arrested and put in jail,
showing how these powerful groups keep them down.
 • No leadership or initiative: Years of hard work have made them lose their desire to
try new things or dream of a different future. There's "no leader among them" to help
them see things differently.
• Dangerous working conditions: The work itself is very risky, leading to loss of
eyesight and other health problems, which makes it even harder for them to find
other jobs.
• Cycle of poverty: They are so poor that they can't afford to do anything else but
make bangles, and they don't even earn enough to eat properly. This keeps them
stuck in poverty.
From the third set of questions (specific to Mukesh and child labour):
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream? In my opinion, Mukesh can realize
his dream of becoming a motor mechanic if:
• He keeps his strong determination and willingness to work hard, like when he insists
he will walk to the garage.
• He finds someone who can guide and support him, perhaps the author or an
organization that helps children like him.
• He gains access to proper training and tools, even if it's just starting as an apprentice
in a garage.
• He manages to save or get financial help to sustain himself during his learning
period, as he won't be earning immediately.
• He bravely resists the pressure from his family and the powerful groups who want
him to stay in the bangle-making business.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. The dangers of working in
the glass bangles industry include:
• Working in very hot furnaces (ovens).
• Working in small, dark, and airless rooms called "dingy cells."
• Constantly working in dim light and with fine glass dust, which causes them to lose
their eyesight, often becoming blind even before they are adults.
• Their eyes adapting more to the dark inside than to the light outside, making them
vulnerable.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how? Child labour should be eliminated for
several crucial reasons:
• It harms children's development: It deprives them of their childhood, education,
and the chance to grow up healthy and strong.
• It leads to poor health and safety: As seen in the text, it exposes children to
dangerous conditions that can cause serious, permanent damage like loss of eyesight.
 • It traps families in poverty: Child labour prevents children from getting an
education and skills, which means they are likely to remain in low-paying jobs,
continuing the cycle of poverty for generations.
• It is against human rights: Every child has a right to education, protection, and a
safe environment.
Child labour can be eliminated by:
• Strictly enforcing laws: Governments must ensure that laws against child labour are
properly followed and that those who exploit children are punished.
• Providing free and quality education: Making sure all children have access to good
schools gives them a better alternative to working.
• Supporting poor families: Helping families get out of poverty through better jobs or
financial aid reduces their need to send their children to work.
• Raising awareness: Educating parents and communities about the long-term harms
of child labour and the benefits of education.
• Creating rehabilitation programs: Providing support and education for children
who are rescued from child labour.
• Promoting fair wages and working conditions for adults: When adults earn
enough, they don't have to rely on their children's income.

1. What makes the city of

Firozabad famous?
2. Mention the hazards of working
in the glass bangles industry.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his
situation different from that of
his family? 1. What is Saheb looking for in
the garbage dumps? Where
is he and where has he come
from?
2. What explanations does the
author offer for the children
not wearing footwear?
3. Is Saheb happy working at the
tea-stall? Explain
Understanding the text
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages
to cities?
2. 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?
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of
Firozabad in poverty?
Talking about the text
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
answer in clear, to the point simple language
Here are the answers to your questions, in clear and simple language:
Questions from the first set (repeated):
1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous? Firozabad is famous for its bangles. It's the
main center in India where glass bangles are made.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. The dangers of working in
this industry are:
• Working around very hot furnaces (ovens).
• Working in small, dark, and airless rooms.
• Many workers, especially children, lose their eyesight or become blind early in life
because of the glass dust and working in dim light.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family? Mukesh's
attitude is different because he has a personal dream and wants to change his life. His family
believes that making bangles is their destiny and they don't seem to have hope for change.
Mukesh, however, strongly says he wants to be a motor mechanic and is determined to learn,
showing he wants to be his own boss and break away from the family tradition.
Questions from the second set (about Saheb):
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come
from? Saheb is looking for "gold" in the garbage dumps, meaning anything valuable like
money. He is in a neighborhood in Delhi. He and his family came from Dhaka, Bangladesh,
because storms destroyed their homes and fields.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear? The
author mentions two reasons:
• One boy says his mother didn't get his sandals from the shelf.
 • Another explanation is that it's a tradition to stay barefoot, not because of lack of
money. The author, though, wonders if this is just an excuse for poverty.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain. No, Saheb is not happy working at the
tea-stall. The author notices he has lost his "carefree look." The steel container he carries
feels heavier than his old plastic bag. The author points out that his old bag was his, but the
new container belongs to the tea shop owner, meaning Saheb is no longer his own master.
Questions under "Understanding the text":
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
People move from villages to cities because of:
• Natural disasters like storms destroying homes and farms (Saheb's case).
• Lack of food or work in the villages (the women in Seemapuri).
• The hope of finding a better life or earning money in the city.
2. 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? Yes, promises made to poor
children are often not kept. In the text, the author playfully offers to start a school for Saheb
but then feels embarrassed because she didn't intend to keep that promise. This happens
because:
• Promises are sometimes made without serious thought or commitment.
• People from different backgrounds don't always understand the difficulties faced by
the poor in fulfilling such promises.
• It takes a lot of resources and effort to fulfill big promises like building a school.
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty? Several forces work together to keep the bangle workers poor:
• Tradition and Caste: They are born into the bangle-making caste, and it's seen as
their fate.
• Exploitation: Moneylenders, middlemen, police, and politicians form a "vicious
circle" that traps them. If they try to organize, they are punished.
• Lack of hope: Years of hard work have made them lose their desire to dream or try
new things.
• Dangerous work: The hazardous nature of the work often leads to health problems,
trapping them further.
• Low wages: They don't earn enough to break free from the cycle of poverty.
Questions under "Talking about the text":
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream? Mukesh can achieve his dream if:
• He maintains his strong will and determination.
• He finds a mentor or a person/organization to guide and support him in learning
mechanics.
 • He manages to get proper training, even if it starts with an apprenticeship.
• He gets some financial help to support himself during his training.
• He continues to bravely resist the pressure to follow his family's traditional work.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. The dangers in the glass
bangles industry are:
• Working in extremely hot furnaces.
• Working in dark, stuffy rooms without proper air or light.
• Losing eyesight or going blind early due to glass dust and strain from working in dim
light.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how? Child labour should be eliminated
because:
• It harms children's health and safety, often leading to permanent injuries or illnesses.
• It stops children from going to school and getting an education, which is vital for
their future.
• It keeps children and their families stuck in poverty because they don't gain skills for
better jobs.
• It takes away their childhood, preventing them from playing and growing up
normally.
Child labour can be eliminated by:
• Strictly enforcing laws against it.
• Providing free and good quality education for all children.
• Helping poor families earn enough money so they don't need their children to work.
• Raising public awareness about the issue.
• Creating programs to rescue child labourers and help them go to school.

1. What makes the city of

Firozabad famous?
2. Mention the hazards of working
in the glass bangles industry.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his
situation different from that of
his family? 1. What is Saheb looking for in
the garbage dumps? Where
is he and where has he come
from?
2. What explanations does the
author offer for the children
not wearing footwear?
3. Is Saheb happy working at the
tea-stall? Explain
Understanding the text
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages
to cities?
2. 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?
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of
Firozabad in poverty?
Talking about the text
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
answer in clear, to the point simple language. write in key points
Show thinking
Here are the answers to all your questions in clear, simple key points:
Questions about Firozabad & Mukesh (Set 1)
1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
• Famous for making glass bangles.
• It's the center of India's glass-blowing industry.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
• Working in extremely hot furnaces.
• Working in dark, airless rooms ("dingy cells").
• Risk of losing eyesight or going blind early due to glass dust and poor light.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
• Mukesh: Has a personal dream (to be a motor mechanic); wants to be his "own
master"; shows determination to learn.
• Family: Believes bangle-making is their destiny/fate; lack hope or initiative to
change.
Questions about Saheb (Set 2)
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come
from?
• Looking for "gold" (valuable items like money).
• He is in a neighborhood in Delhi.
• Came from Dhaka, Bangladesh, because storms destroyed their home and fields.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
• Mother didn't bring sandals from the shelf.
• It's a tradition to stay barefoot (though author questions if this is an excuse for
poverty).
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
• No, he is not happy.
• He has lost his "carefree look."
• The steel canister he carries feels heavier (symbolizes burden) than his old, light
plastic bag.
• He is no longer his "own master."
Understanding the text (General Insights)
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
• Natural disasters (e.g., storms destroying homes/farms).
• Lack of food or livelihood in villages.
• Hope for survival and better opportunities in cities.
2. 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?
• Yes, promises are often rarely kept.
• Reasons:
• Promises made casually/without serious intent.
• Lack of resources or commitment to fulfill big promises (like building a
school).
• Differences in understanding/realities between the promise-maker and the
child.
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty?
• Caste and Tradition: Born into the bangle-making caste, seen as their "destiny."
 • Exploitation: A "vicious circle" of moneylenders, middlemen, police, and
politicians.
• No Leadership/Hope: Years of toil have killed their initiative and ability to dream.
• Hazardous Work: Health risks (like blindness) trap them further.
• Low Wages: Not enough money to escape the cycle.
Talking about the text (Further Analysis)
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
• Maintain his strong determination.
• Find a mentor or support (individual/organization) to guide his learning.
• Access proper training (e.g., apprenticeship at a garage).
• Get financial support during his learning phase.
• Resist pressure to stay in traditional family work.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
• Working in extremely hot furnaces.
• Working in dark, unventilated rooms.
• High risk of losing eyesight or becoming blind early due to glass dust and strain.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
• Why eliminated:
• Harms children's health and safety.
• Prevents education and future opportunities.
• Traps children/families in a cycle of poverty.
• Denies children their childhood.
• Violates human rights.
• How to eliminate:
• Strictly enforce anti-child labour laws.
• Provide free, quality education for all children.
• Support poor families financially.
• Raise awareness about child labour's harms.
• Create rehabilitation programs for rescued children.

The Lost Spring Summary

Summary of The Lost Spring – Stories of stolen Childhood – The author tells us stories of her
interactions with children from deprived backgrounds. She describes their poor condition and life in
an interesting manner. The story touches the reader and is thought-provoking.
The author described two of her encounters with children from deprived backgrounds. Through
them she wants to highlight the plight of street children forced into labour early in life and are
denied the opportunity of schooling. Also, she brings out the callousness of society and the political
class towards the sufferings of the poor. The first encounter is with a rag picker boy named Saheb –
E – Alam who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971 and lives in Seemapuri in Delhi. These ragpicker
children look for ‘valuables’ in the garbage – things like a coin or torn shoes which are as precious
as ‘gold’ for them.
They could hardly manage some food for themselves, other things like identity, education, shoes
and sports are their unfulfilled dreams. Their parents scrounged the garbage searching for things
that helped them survive – afford food, clothing and shelter for the family. The children hunted
through the garbage heaps looking for things which could partially fulfil their unfulfilled dreams.
One day the writer saw the boy, holding a steel can, going towards the milk booth. He had got a job
at a tea stall. He was happy that he would get eight hundred rupees and all the meals. The writer
noticed that Saheb had lost the freedom of being his own master which he had enjoyed as a rag
picker.
The second boy was Mukesh who belonged to a family of bangle makers in Firozabad. The boy had
a dream of becoming a car mechanic. On the contrary, his family was traditionally engaged in
bangle making, although the profession harmed them physically and they hardly earned any money
out of it.
Still, no one dared to dream of doing something else due to the fear of the police and the
middlemen. The family elders were content that other than teaching the art of bangle–making to
their children, they had been able to build them a house to live in. The boy wanted to be a car
mechanic. Cars were all that Mukesh had seen on the roads of his town and so, he could not dream
any further.
The Lost Spring Theme
The sad position of poor children who are forced to have a wretched life and forgo the fun times of
childhood due to their social circumstances is the subject of the story “Lost Spring.” These children
are compelled to labour from an early age and are not given the opportunity to pursue an education.
Anees Jung, the writer, makes a concerted effort to end child labour. She advocates for government
enforcement of strict laws prohibiting child work as well as enforce the education of children. The
word was spread so that child exploitation might be stopped and all children could enjoy their
happy, springtime days. She talks about her encounter with a slum dweller kid named Saheb-e-
Alam who is a ragpicker and wishes to play tennis and go to a school. However, these wishes
remain unfulfilled. Another boy named Mukesh hails from a family of bangle makers from
Firozabad. Their lives are miserable because the profession does not provide a good livelihood and
harms them physically too. The boy dreams to do something different but his dreams are restricted
to the life that he has seen in his hometown. He aspires to become a car mechanic.
This text provides a good summary and theme analysis of "The Lost Spring."
Here's a breakdown of the information provided:
Summary of "The Lost Spring – Stories of stolen Childhood"
• The author shares stories of interacting with children from poor backgrounds, highlighting
their difficult lives and denying them schooling.
• It criticizes society and politicians for their indifference to the poor.
First Encounter: Saheb-E-Alam
• A ragpicker boy who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971 and lives in Seemapuri, Delhi.
• He and other ragpicker children search garbage for "valuables" like coins or torn shoes,
which are like "gold" to them.
• They struggle for food; identity, education, shoes, and sports are unfulfilled dreams.
• Parents search garbage for survival (food, clothing, shelter), while children look for things to
fulfill partial dreams.
• Saheb later gets a job at a tea stall, earning 800 rupees and meals.
• The author notes Saheb lost his freedom as his "own master" in this new job.
Second Encounter: Mukesh
• A boy from a bangle-making family in Firozabad.
• Dreams of becoming a car mechanic, but his family is traditionally stuck in bangle-making.
• The profession is physically harmful and provides little money.
• Fear of police and middlemen prevents anyone from dreaming beyond bangle-making.
• Elders are content with teaching bangle-making and having built a house.
• Mukesh's dreams are limited to what he sees in his town (cars), so he aspires to be a
mechanic.
The Lost Spring Theme
• Main Subject: The sad lives of poor children forced into hardship and losing their
childhood due to social circumstances.
• These children are forced into labor early and denied education.
• Author's Goal (Anees Jung): To end child labor.
• Advocacy: Calls for strict government laws against child labor and mandatory education for
children.
• Goal: To stop child exploitation so all children can enjoy their "happy, springtime days."
• Illustrations of Theme:
• Saheb-e-Alam: A ragpicker whose wishes to play tennis and go to school remain
unfulfilled.
• Mukesh: From a bangle-making family in Firozabad; lives are miserable due to the
profession's poor livelihood and physical harm. His dream to be a car mechanic is
restricted by his limited exposure in his hometown.
Think as you read
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans. Saheb is looking for any precious thing which he cannot afford to buy. Things like a rupee,
silver coin or a pair of shoes. He has come to the garbage dump in the writer’s neighborhood. He
lives in Seemapuri in Delhi and has come from Dhaka.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Ans. The author says that they do not wear footwear because it is a tradition in their families to
remain barefoot.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
Ans. Saheb is happy that he has got work at the tea stall. He will get eight hundred rupees every
month and his meals too.
4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Ans. Firozabad is famous for glass blowing industry.
5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Ans. People who work in the glass bangle industry lose their eyesight.
6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Ans. Mukesh dares to dream and has a way out of his situation. He aspires to become a motor
mechanic. On the other hand, his family does not dare to dream. They are too tired and scared to do
something to come out of their grim situation.
Understanding the text
Q1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Ans. People migrate from villages to cities in search of a better life. They want to earn money so
that they can lead a good life and rear their children in a better way. As cities have more
opportunities for work, this makes them migrate from the villages to these big cities.
Q2. 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?
Ans. Yes, I agree that the promises made to poor children are rarely fulfilled. In the story the writer
jokingly offers the rag picker boy to join a school that she would open. In fact, she does not intend
to open a school. She speaks mindlessly but the boy takes it to be true and later asks her if the
school has opened. There are many such hollow promises in the boy’s life because the person who
makes the promise never intends to fulfil it.
Q3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans. The writer tells us that the bangle – makers of Firozabad are poverty – stricken. They are
burdened by the fact of the particular caste in which they are born – bangle – makers. They have to
continue the traditional profession. Further, the society has formed a harsh circle around them. The
money – lenders, middlemen, policemen, law – keepers, officers and politicians altogether form a
barrier around them and tie them in the grip of poverty. They cannot escape from it.
Q4. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Ans. Mukesh dared to dream and wanted to become a motor mechanic. He wanted to drive cars too.
He took the initial step by aspiring to do something different from the family business. I think that
Mukesh can realize his dream with determination and hard work.
Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Ans. The poor bangle makers in Firozabad work in dangerous conditions. The furnaces have very
high temperatures and no ventilation. Hence, they are prone to ailments like lung cancer. While
polishing the bangles, the dust harms their eyes and many lose their vision. They remain in dark for
long hours and so are unable to see during the daytime.
Q6. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Ans. Forcing a child to work is a crime. This is so in order to prevent exploitation of children. If
forced to work, Children cannot enjoy their childhood. They cannot get proper education. Also,
when they are forced into hazardous works, they get ailments at a young age. This destroys their
future. Their parents overlook all these facts as they need money. So, the government has to become
proactive and take measures to check child labour and enforce the law strictly.
Q1. In what sense is garbage gold to the ragpickers?
Ans: For the ragpickers, garbage is equivalent to gold in that it provides them with a livelihood.
Garbage provides them with their daily rations and a place to live.
Q2. What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
Ans: The author claims that garbage is gold to ragpickers because, to children, trash is a source of
amazement. They anticipate receiving some cash, jewels, or both in it. They occasionally discover a
rupee or even a ten-rupee note, if luck is on their side. Adults use garbage as a source of income.
Q3. Give a brief account of the life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in
Seemapuri.
Ans: Anees Jung notes in “Lost Spring” that Saheb-e-Alam’s life and activities are entirely
dependent on garbage. That is, in truth, garbage is their daily sustenance, and to them it is no less
than gold. The poor rag pickers are generally barefoot, which she says is “an excuse to justify a
permanent state of poverty”. They currently reside in mud structures with tin and tarpaulin roofs,
without sewage, drainage, or running water. Whenever they can find food, they set up their tents.
They have been residing in Seemapuri for more than 30 years without an identity or permission.
They do, however, carry ration cards which enable them to vote.
Q4. Garbage to them is gold. How do ragpickers of Seemapuri survive?
Ans: For the inhabitants of Seemapuri, nothing else matters except survival. They set up their tents
wherever there is food. The people of Seemapuri rely on garbage collection and ragpicking to
provide for their daily needs and a roof over their heads. Finding money in the trash—whether it be
one rupee or ten—can occasionally make someone’s day, especially if they are a child. It gives them
hope. Hence the writer’s statement that “garbage to them is gold” is true.
Q5. What does the writer mean when she says, ‘Saheb is no longer his own master’?
Ans: The author intended Saheb to be a carefree youngster who worked and still had time for
himself when he was a ragpicker. Yet as soon as he began working at the tea shop, he lost his
freedom because he was forced to work for a master and obey his commands. He could no longer
act however he pleased. As a result, he was no longer his own master.
Q6. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall ? Explain.
Ans: Saheb was not happy working at the tea stall. There was fixed earning and food to suffice his
hunger but he had lost his freedom. Earlier, working as a rag picker, his earning was meagre, but he
had enjoyed his work as he was not accountable to anyone. Thus he was no longer his own master.
Q7. What makes the city of Firozabad famous ?
Ans: The bangle manufacturing sector is well known in Firozabad. In Firozabad, bangle
manufacturing is a way of life for every family. It is the hub of India’s glass blowing industry,
where families have spent years welding, producing glass, and creating bangles for ladies while
surrounded by furnaces.
Q8. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps ? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans: In pursuit of “gold,” Saheb rummaged through and explored the garbage heaps. He lived in a
slum outside of Delhi called Seemapuri with thousands of other rag pickers. He had left Bangladesh
with his parents after numerous storms destroyed their home and farmland.
Q9. How was Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family ?
Ans: Mukesh was prepared to leave the family’s history and vicious cycle of glassmakers. He
followed his tender heart’s desire to train as a mechanic. In order to obtain the training and abilities
he needed, he willingly undertook the burden of walking a significant distance to the garage. He
therefore had the courage to pursue his dream.
Q10. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry ?
Ans: Workers in the glass bangle industry toiled their daylight hours working near hot furnaces in
dingy cells having no proper lighting and inadequate ventilation. At times they lose their eyesight
because of the dust emitted while polishing glass bangles. In Firozabad, children also laboured in
glass bangle industries where they fell prey to such hazardous working atmosphere.
Q11. What trade does the family of Mukesh follow? Why does the writer feel that it’s difficult for
Mukesh to break away from this tradition?
Ans: Engaged in bangle making for decades, it is difficult to break away from this trade. He belongs
to the caste of bangle makers. His family is caught in the web of sahukars, the middlemen,
policemen, politicians and bureaucrats, from which there is no escape.
Q12. What does Saheb do for a living? Why?
Ans: Saheb is a rag picker. His family has left the life of poverty behind in Dhaka to pursue their
dream of finding a better life. The children like him have no access to education and are forced into
rag picking.
Q13. Why did people migrate from the village in Dhaka to Delhi?
Ans: Their homes and farmland were destroyed by numerous storms. Political unrest at the period
made life for these people very tough, and their fields eventually turned to desert. They left their
home in Dhaka and moved to Delhi in the hopes of finding better living, educational, and
employment possibilities.
Q14. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear ?
Ans: The author had seen children walking barefoot, in cities as well as on village roads. It was
customary for them to remain barefoot because they believed that their ragged clothing and being
barefoot emphasized their ongoing poverty and tracked an ancient tradition that had been retained
by the suffering rag pickers.
Q15. What does garbage symbolise for adults and children?
Ans: Garbage has a different connotation for kids than it does for adults. When they discover a
rupee or ten-rupee note inside, the children’s eyes light up with wonder. They eagerly explore the
trash in the hopes of discovering more. But so far, it is a means of survival for the elderly.
Q16. Why can’t the bangle makers of Firozabad organise themselves into a cooperative? (Comptt.
Delhi 2013)
Ans: The makers of bangles are locked in a vicious cycle that starts with poverty, progresses
through apathy, greed, and injustice, and ends with injustice. Their hopes and goals are crushed by
mindless labour. Because they were caught in a vicious loop of sahukars, intermediaries, police,
bureaucrats, and politicians, the Ferozabad bangle producers were unable to organise themselves
into a cooperative. Collectively, priviledged people had imposed baggage on these individuals that
they were unable to shed.
Q17. What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil his dream? Why? Why not?
(Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Ans: Mukesh wants to become a mechanic and learn how to drive. He appears to be determined to
see his dream realised, which increases the likelihood that it will come true. Regardless of the
distance between his house and the garage, he is prepared to walk there in order to learn despite all
the odds against him.
Q18. Describe the irony in Saheb’s name. (Delhi 2016)
Ans: Saheb’s full name is Saheb-e-Alam which means ‘Lord of the Universe’. Saheb, though, is a
destitute ragpicker who relies on garbage dumps to support himself. His name offers a stark contrast
to his sad situation.
Q19. How was Mukesh different from other bangle makers? (Comptt. Delhi 2016)
Ans: Mukesh was different from other bangle makers because he wanted to be his own master.
When other bangle manufacturers did not even dare to dream and had accepted their fate, Mukesh
had an ambition of becoming a mechanic.
Q20. Which industry was a boon and also bane for the people of Firozabad? How? (Comptt. Delhi
2017)
Ans: The glass-bangles making industry was a boon and also bane for the people of Firozabad.
Although the industry has provided them with a means of support, the dangerous working
conditions in the hot furnaces have a negative impact on their physical well-being.
Q21. The youngsters echo the lament of their elders who have been doing the mind-numbing toil of
bangle-making since long. This is the reason that the writer says that little has moved with time, it
seems, in Firozabad. (SQP 2020-21)
Ans: The young people share the sorrow of their elders who have been engaged in the mind-
numbing labour of producing bangles for a long time. Because of this, the author claims that hardly
much seems to have changed over time in Firozabad.
Q22. Why does Anees Jung say that the bangle makers are caught in a vicious web? (CBSE SQP
2019-20)
Ans: The bangle makers in Firozabad are exploited at the hands of the Sahukars, middlemen,
policemen, law makers, bureaucrats and politicians. They toil day and night, but are not paid
appropriate wages and are steeped in poverty. They cannot form cooperatives for their betterment.
Moreover, their children are also compelled to join the same trade at an early age and cannot dare to
take up any other profession.
Q23. Why do you think Mukesh is content to dream of cars and doesn’t dream of flying a plane?
Ans: Mukesh was drawn towards being a motor mechanic and not a pilot because he had seen a lot
of cars going around his place but had hardly seen any plane flying past and hence, he made a more
realistic or practical decision to be a mechanic instead of a pilot.
Q24. Do you believe that ‘God-given lineage can be broken’? Support your position with a
rationale. (QB)
Ans: Yes, – God given lineage can be [Link] and determination always pays off and
makes us reach our dreams or goals. Mukesh was a hard-working man. He could achieve his dream
of becoming a motor mechanic by constant hard work towards life and towards the dream.
Q25. How do you think the author’s life might have been impacted after her interactions with the
children and their families mentioned in ‘Lost Spring’? (QB)
Ans: In the chapter ‘Lost Spring,’ the author ‘Anees Jung’ discusses the bleak world in which
people in positions of power make promises but never try to keep them. We learned from her
interactions with Saheb and Mukesh that the author cares about the lower class and oppressed
people. She believes that child labour should be prohibited in our country so that children who want
to study can do so.
Q26. What do we come to know about the author of Lost Spring, Anees Jung, through her
interactions with Saheb and Mukesh? (SQP 2022-23)
Ans: In the chapter ‘Lost Spring,’ the author ‘Anees Jung’ discusses the bleak world in which
people in positions of power make promises but never try to keep them. We learned from her
interactions with Saheb and Mukesh that the author cares about the lower class and oppressed
people.
Q27. What does the description of Mukesh’s family in Lost Spring reveal about gender roles?(SQP
2022-23)
Ans: Mukesh’s family in Lost Spring reveals patriarchy and inequality in the treatment of men and
women. Women in the Mukesh family are still assigned to stereotypical gender roles, such as doing
household chores and caregiving, whereas men are assigned to earning work.

Class 12 Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood Long Answer Questions Chapter 2
Q1. 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 ?
Ans. We agree that promises made to underprivileged kids are frequently broken. We host several
chat shows to end child labour, however the majority of child labourers worldwide are found in
India. Children who work as children suffer both physical and mental suffering. The author of the
lesson “Lost Spring” painted a clear picture of children working in the bangle and rag-picking
professions. As she realised the plight of rag pickers, she asked Saheb if he would attend a school if
she decided to create one in the area. Eventually, she felt ashamed for making a youngster a promise
that she had no intention of [Link] child labourers in Firozabad and rag pickers in Seemapuri
had never attended school. All of their initiative, desire, and capacity for dreaming were killed when
they were persuaded to choose that line of work.
Q2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry.
Ans. The glass bangle industry is highly dangerous to work in. Employees spend a lot of time close
to the glass furnaces, which operate at high temperatures. They toil during the day in dismal cells
with inadequate ventilation and illumination. Rather than the light and open air outside, their eyes
become more accustomed to the gloom that prevails inside their workshop. They frequently lose
their vision as a result of the dust that is released during the polishing of glass bangles. Despite the
fact that child labour is illegal under the law, young children are mostly employed in this dangerous
occupation. They work in a dimly lit hut with their parents or other other adults, shaping bits of
coloured glass into lovely round [Link] become more prone to accidents as a result of
working in such poor sanitary conditions, and their desire to follow their dreams and escape their
family’s constraints is also killed.
Q3. How in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Ans. Mukesh came from a family of bangle makers who practised their ancestors’ trade, thought it
was a calling from God, and accepted the hardship, pain, and exploitation that went along with it as
a part of their fate. Mukesh chose the profession of his choice with a tender heart. H e was ready to
leave the glass-making family’s legacy and its vicious cycle. He refused to let poverty thwart his
ambitions. He desired to work as an apprentice in a garage since he had an ambition of becoming a
mechanic. He aspired to get his driver’s licence so he could maybe work as a mechanic or a
mechanic’s assistant, and he was willing to travel a significant distance to go to the [Link] this
way, he dared to fulfil his dream.
Q4. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities.
Ans. More and more people are moving from villages to cities as years roll on. The village is under
more strain now because of overpopulation, illiteracy, and unemployment. Furthermore, landless
labourers are forced to move to cities in search of employment due to the introduction of
mechanised farming. Their primary occupation used to be agriculture, but as a result of increasing
industrialization and advances in education, young people now move to cities in pursuit of
employment and educational opportunities. They don’t want to remain in the soiled rural
environment. Modern machines have also taken the role of the local crafts. The market is crowded
with high-quality, low-priced competition. The villagers are unable to sell their wares because they
are unable to compete with the new system of vast [Link] frequently become
indebted because of agricultural loans and lose their lands and properties as a result. Finally, as a
result of urbanisation, the villages move to the metropolis to live a contemporary lifestyle.
Q5. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Ans. Employment of child labour is illegal. The law forbids it. Nonetheless, it continues
uninterrupted in numerous cities and villages. It has a risky nature.
It causes them physical and mental harm because they are unable to comprehend or communicate.
They frequently lose or hurt their important organs while working. Before kids reach adulthood,
they lose their innocence. All of their initiative, ambition, and desire to dream in life are killed by
working day and night. They are even denied access to a formal education and to healthy
development. It is dangerous to use kids in dangerous businesses like making carpet, bangles, and
fireworks. These kids have no idea how to defend themselves in the event of an accident or
[Link] only way to resolve the issue with the government and society is to mercilessly punish
the exploiters.
Q6. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty ?
Ans. Anees Jung correctly identified the two different classes that existed in the town of Firozabad.
Families trapped in the tradition of creating bangles made up the first group. They had never
considered careers outside of those of their ancestors. They were aware of how little money they
were making and how challenging it was to make ends meet.
The second stratum included sahukars, bureaucrats, police officers, and cunning politicians who
coerced the kids into child labour in the dangerous bangle making industry. Both young and old
were caught in this terrible loop. If they spoke out against this continued system, the police would
arrest them. They viewed it as a divinely mandated bloodline that could never be [Link] never
considered creating a union. They never spoke up to escape the web of poverty and the grasp of the
bureaucrats because they had accepted it as their fate.
Q7. Mukesh is not like the others. His dreams loom like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill
his town Firozabad‟. Justify the statement in the light of contrast in the mindsets of Mukesh and the
people of Firozabad. (SQP 2018-19)
Ans. Mukesh belongs to a family of glass bangle makers in Firozabad. Even though the children of
such families usually carry on their family profession, Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic and
drive a car. Unlike his family members, and others of his community, he has dared to dream. His
grandmother’s words about the unbreakable lineage represent the attitude they have towards their
situation in life. They believe that it is their destiny to toil as bangle makers. Mukesh was different
from the others of his community. His dreams look like a mirage amidst the dust of street that fill
his town Firozabad. By daring to dream, he has already taken the first step towards a big change. He
wants to become a motor mechanic and drive a car. He can realise this dream with determination
and hard work. There might be many obstacles on his way but a strong willpower will help him
move towards the path of success. The resolute boy is willing to walk a long distance from home to
learn to be a mechanic.
Q8. How does the story, ‘Lost Spring’ highlight the apathy of society and those in power to end the
vicious cycle of poverty? Support your answer with textual evidence.
Ans. In this story, ‘Lost Spring’s Saheb and Mukesh were the two main characters in two different
stories and both of them suffered extreme poverty. In the first story Saheb was a child who did rag
picking with his family to fulfil their needs. After a few days he started working in a tea stall and he
is no longer his own master as he worked under [Link] the other side mukesh belonged to a
family of bangle makers and works in bangle making industry along with his family but he was
focused and determined for his aim to become a motor mechanic. Both Saheb and Mukesh were
unable to move out of poverty and live a normal life,as they got no opportunities and it was almost
impossible for them to fulfil their dreams. This was because the upper class people, politicians and
officials did not help them at all ,rather they pushed them down in poverty for their greed. Also they
did not have much knowledge about their rights and the importance of education, as no one told
them about [Link] both just followed the old customs and worked in poverty as no one guided
them. Even the people who have the power to help them showed lack of interest in helping them.
That is why this vicious cycle of poverty continues and the poor people become more poor and the
rich become richer. If the upper class people and the men in power would have helped them to get
out of poverty and get educated, then both Saheb and Mukesh would definitely be able to fulfil their
dreams and enjoy their life like others. Also, it is the duty of common people to make them aware of
their rights and tell them how they can move out of poverty stricken life so as to make them succeed
in life.
Q9. Certain traditions and lineage, condemn thousands of children to a life of abject poverty and
choke their aspirations. • Do you agree? Explain. • How can we change this? Suggest some ways to
tackle this issue. (QB)
Ans. Yes, I do agree that ‘Lost Spring’ narrates the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn
thousands of people have succumbed. The story written by Anees Jung revolves around the pitiable
condition of poor children who have been forced to live in the slums and work hard in dirty
conditions. The first part tells the writer’s impression about the life of poor rag pickers who have
migrated from Bangladesh but now are settled in the Seemapuri area of Delhi. The second part
narrates the miserable life of the bangle-makers in the town of Firozabad. The stark reality of these
families is that, in spite of back-breaking hard work that they put in, they cannot have two square
meals a day. Besides, false and blind belief in traditions does not let their children take up other
respectable and better paying jobs which will improve their financial situations
Okay, I will think as I read through the provided text and then provide concise, to-the-point answers
to the questions based only on the text you've given.

Saheb's Story
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come
from?
• Saheb is looking for precious things like a rupee, silver coin, or a pair of shoes.
 • He is at the garbage dump in the writer’s neighborhood.
• He lives in Seemapuri in Delhi and has come from Dhaka.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
• The author states it's a tradition in their families to remain barefoot.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
• Saheb is happy about getting the job at the tea stall (800 rupees/month and meals).
• However, the writer notes that he lost the freedom of being his "own master" he
had as a rag picker. He is no longer his own master.

Mukesh's Story & Firozabad

4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
• Firozabad is famous for its glass blowing industry and bangle manufacturing.
5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
• Workers lose their eyesight.
• They work near hot furnaces in dismal cells with inadequate ventilation and
illumination.
• Dust from polishing bangles harms their eyes.
• Prone to ailments like lung cancer.
6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
• Mukesh dares to dream and wants to become a motor mechanic.
• His family does not dare to dream; they are too tired and scared to change their
"grim situation."

Understanding the Text (Broader Themes)

Q1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities? *
People migrate in search of a better life and to earn money. * Cities offer more opportunities for
work. * Homes and farmland destroyed by storms (as in Dhaka). * Political unrest making life
tough in villages. * Overpopulation, illiteracy, and unemployment in villages. * Mechanised
farming forcing landless laborers to seek city jobs. * Industrialization and modern machines
replacing local crafts. * Debts from agricultural loans. * Desire for a contemporary lifestyle due to
urbanization.
Q2. 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? * Yes, promises made to poor children are
rarely fulfilled. * This happens because the person making the promise (like the writer offering to
open a school) does not intend to fulfill it and speaks "mindlessly." These are often "hollow
promises."
Q3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
* Caste System: Burdened by being born into the bangle-making caste; must continue the
traditional profession. * "Harsh Circle" of Society: Moneylenders, middlemen, policemen, law-
keepers, officers, and politicians collectively trap them in poverty. * They cannot escape this
system.
Q4. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream? * Mukesh can realize his dream with
determination and hard work. * He has taken the initial step by aspiring to do something
different. * He is willing to walk a significant distance to the garage for training.
Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. * Working in high-
temperature furnaces with no ventilation, leading to risk of lung cancer. * Dust from polishing
bangles harms their eyes, causing many to lose their vision. * Remaining in darkness for long
hours makes them unable to see properly during the daytime.
Q6. Why should child labour be eliminated and how? * Why eliminated: * It is a crime and
exploitation. * Children cannot enjoy their childhood. * They cannot get proper education. *
Hazardous work causes ailments at a young age, destroying their future. * They lose their
innocence and ability to dream. * How eliminated: * Government must become proactive. * Take
measures to check child labour. * Enforce laws strictly. * Mercilessly punish exploiters.

Further Insights from the Text

Q1. In what sense is garbage gold to the ragpickers? * Garbage is like gold because it provides
them with a livelihood. * It gives them their daily rations and a place to live.
Q2. What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents? * To children:
A source of amazement and wonder (hope of finding money or jewels). * To adults: A means of
survival and income.
Q3. Give a brief account of the life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in
Seemapuri. * Their life and activities entirely depend on garbage; it's their "daily sustenance" and
"gold." * Generally barefoot. * Reside in mud structures with tin/tarpaulin roofs, without sewage,
drainage, or running water. * They pitch tents wherever they find food. * Have lived there over
30 years without identity or permission, but have ration cards for voting.
Q4. Garbage to them is gold. How do ragpickers of Seemapuri survive? * They rely on
garbage collection and ragpicking for daily needs and shelter. * Finding money (one rupee or ten)
in trash gives them hope, especially children.
Q5. What does the writer mean when she says, ‘Saheb is no longer his own master’? * As a
ragpicker, Saheb was carefree and had freedom. * At the tea shop, he lost this freedom because he
works for a master and must obey commands. He can no longer act as he pleases.
Q6. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain. * Saheb was not happy working at the tea
stall. * Though he had fixed earnings and food, he had lost his freedom. * As a ragpicker, his
earnings were small, but he enjoyed his work as he was not answerable to anyone.
Q7. What makes the city of Firozabad famous? * Firozabad is well-known for its bangle
manufacturing sector. * It is the hub of India’s glass blowing industry.
Q8. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come
from? * Saheb is looking for "gold" (valuable items) in the garbage heaps. * He lives in a slum
outside Delhi called Seemapuri. * He came from Bangladesh after storms destroyed their home
and farmland.
Q9. How was Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family? * Mukesh
was prepared to leave the family's tradition and cycle of glassmakers. * He wanted to train as a
mechanic. * He was willing to walk a significant distance to the garage to get training. * He had
the courage to pursue his dream.
Q10. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry? * Workers toil near hot
furnaces in dingy cells with no proper lighting or ventilation. * They often lose their eyesight
due to dust from polishing glass bangles. * Children also work in this hazardous atmosphere.
Q11. What trade does the family of Mukesh follow? Why does the writer feel that it’s difficult
for Mukesh to break away from this tradition? * Mukesh's family follows the bangle-making
trade. * It's difficult to break away because they have been engaged in it for decades and belong to
the bangle-maker caste. * The family is caught in a "web" of sahukars, middlemen, policemen,
politicians, and bureaucrats, making escape impossible.
Q12. What does Saheb do for a living? Why? * Saheb is a rag picker. * His family left poverty
in Dhaka for a better life in Delhi, and he has no access to education, forcing him into rag picking.
Q13. Why did people migrate from the village in Dhaka to Delhi? * Their homes and farmland
were destroyed by numerous storms. * Political unrest made life very tough, and fields turned to
desert. * They moved to Delhi hoping for better living, educational, and employment
possibilities.
Q14. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear? * It was
customary for them to remain barefoot. * They believed their ragged clothing and bare feet
emphasized their ongoing poverty and tracked an ancient tradition.
Q15. What does garbage symbolise for adults and children? * For children: A source of
wonder (hope of finding money, jewels). They eagerly explore it. * For adults: A means of
survival.
Q16. Why can’t the bangle makers of Firozabad organise themselves into a cooperative? *
They are caught in a vicious cycle of poverty, apathy, greed, and injustice. * Their hopes are
crushed by "mindless labour." * They are trapped by a "vicious loop" of sahukars, intermediaries,
police, bureaucrats, and politicians. * They face fear of being arrested by police if they try to
organize.
Q17. What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil his dream? Why? Why
not? * Mukesh wants to become a mechanic and learn how to drive. * Yes, he appears
determined to realize his dream, increasing the likelihood. * He is prepared to walk a significant
distance to the garage despite obstacles.
Q18. Describe the irony in Saheb’s name. * Saheb's full name, Saheb-e-Alam, means 'Lord of
the Universe.' * The irony is that he is a destitute ragpicker who relies on garbage dumps, a stark
contrast to his grand name.
Q19. How was Mukesh different from other bangle makers? * Mukesh was different because he
wanted to be his "own master." * He had an ambition of becoming a mechanic, unlike others
who had accepted their fate and did not dare to dream.
Q20. Which industry was a boon and also bane for the people of Firozabad? How? * The
glass-bangles making industry was both a boon and a bane. * Boon: Provided a means of
support (livelihood). * Bane: Dangerous working conditions in hot furnaces negatively impacted
their physical well-being.
Q21. The youngsters echo the lament of their elders who have been doing the mind-numbing
toil of bangle-making since long. This is the reason that the writer says that little has moved
with time, it seems, in Firozabad. * The young people share the sorrow and lack of progress of
their elders. * This shows that hardly anything has changed over time in Firozabad, as
generations are stuck in the same difficult bangle-making labor.
Q22. Why does Anees Jung say that the bangle makers are caught in a vicious web? * They are
exploited by Sahukars, middlemen, policemen, lawmakers, bureaucrats, and politicians. *
They toil but are not paid appropriate wages and remain in deep poverty. * They cannot form
cooperatives for betterment. * Their children are forced into the same trade, unable to choose
other professions.
Q23. Why do you think Mukesh is content to dream of cars and doesn’t dream of flying a
plane? * Mukesh had seen many cars in his town. * He had hardly seen any planes flying. * He
made a more realistic or practical decision to be a mechanic instead of a pilot based on what he
observed.
Q24. Do you believe that ‘God-given lineage can be broken’? Support your position with a
rationale. * Yes, God-given lineage can be broken. * Rationale: Hard work and determination
can lead to achieving dreams and goals. Mukesh's ambition and willingness to work hard (like
walking to the garage) show that he can break from his family's traditional fate.
Q25. How do you think the author’s life might have been impacted after her interactions with
the children and their families mentioned in ‘Lost Spring’? * The author likely developed a
deeper understanding and empathy for the lower class and oppressed. * Her interactions
reinforced her belief that child labor should be prohibited and children should have access to
education.
Q26. What do we come to know about the author of Lost Spring, Anees Jung, through her
interactions with Saheb and Mukesh? * We learn that Anees Jung cares deeply about the lower
class and oppressed people. * She highlights the bleak world where promises made by those in
power are rarely kept.
Q27. What does the description of Mukesh’s family in Lost Spring reveal about gender roles?
* It reveals patriarchy and inequality in the treatment of men and women. * Women are assigned
stereotypical roles like household chores and caregiving. * Men are assigned to earning work.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. 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? * Agreement: Yes, promises to
underprivileged kids are frequently broken. * Reasons: * Promises are often made casually, with no
intention of keeping them (like the author's joke to Saheb). * This leads to the child's
disappointment and fuels a cycle of hollow promises. * The system (society, politicians) often fails
to provide real opportunities for these children (e.g., lack of schools, exploitative labor
conditions).
Q2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry. * Workers are exposed to high
temperatures near furnaces. * They work in dismal cells with poor ventilation and lighting. *
Eyes become accustomed to gloom, leading to vision loss due to dust from polishing glass. *
Increased risk of accidents due to poor conditions. * Child labor is illegal but prevalent, causing
young children to suffer ailments and lose their innocence.
Q3. How in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream? * Mukesh needs to maintain his strong
resolve and determination. * He is willing to walk a significant distance to a garage for training,
showing his commitment. * By pursuing his desire to become an apprentice mechanic and get a
driving license, he can break from his family's "vicious cycle." * His "tender heart's desire" and
refusal to let poverty stop him are key.
Q4. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities. *
Overpopulation, illiteracy, and unemployment in villages. * Mechanised farming displacing
landless laborers. * Increased industrialization and education leading youth to seek urban jobs. *
Decline of local crafts unable to compete with modern industries. * Agricultural debts leading to
loss of land. * Desire for a contemporary lifestyle and urban amenities. * Natural disasters
(storms) destroying homes/farms. * Political unrest.
Q5. Why should child labour be eliminated and how? * Why eliminated: * It's a crime and
prevents children from enjoying childhood. * Denies proper education and healthy development. *
Causes physical and mental harm (injuries, ailments like lung cancer, vision loss). * Destroys
children's future and their ability to dream. * How eliminated: * Government and society must
mercilessly punish exploiters. * Strict enforcement of laws against child labor. * Ensuring
children have access to education. * Addressing parental poverty so children don't need to work.
Q6. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
* Traditional Caste System: They are born into bangle-making, compelled to continue the
"divinely mandated bloodline." * Exploitative Nexus: Sahukars (moneylenders), bureaucrats,
police officers, and cunning politicians form a barrier. * They are coerced into dangerous child
labor. * Fear of police arrest if they try to organize. * Acceptance of fate and lack of initiative to
break the cycle.
Q7. Mukesh is not like the others. His dreams loom like a mirage amidst the dust of streets
that fill his town Firozabad‟. Justify the statement in the light of contrast in the mindsets of
Mukesh and the people of Firozabad. * Contrast: * Mukesh: Dares to dream (motor mechanic,
driving a car), unlike others who accept their fate. He wants to be his "own master." *
Others/Family: Believe it's their destiny to toil as bangle makers; have accepted their
"unbreakable lineage"; lack ambition. * Justification: Mukesh's dream is a "mirage" because it
seems distant given his poverty-stricken reality, but his determination (willing to walk far) shows
he's already taken the first step towards breaking this traditional mindset.
Q8. How does the story, ‘Lost Spring’ highlight the apathy of society and those in power to
end the vicious cycle of poverty? Support your answer with textual evidence. * The story shows
how Saheb and Mukesh are trapped in poverty with no opportunities to fulfill dreams. * Apathy
of upper classes/politicians/officials: They "did not help them at all, rather they pushed them down
in poverty for their greed." * Lack of awareness: The poor are not informed about their rights or
education's importance. * Broken Promises: The author's unfulfilled promise to Saheb is an
example. * Vicious Cycle: The bangle makers cannot organize because "the police would arrest
them," showing how powerful figures prevent change. * This leads to the "vicious cycle of poverty
continues and the poor people become more poor and the rich become richer."
Q9. Certain traditions and lineage, condemn thousands of children to a life of abject poverty
and choke their aspirations. • Do you agree? Explain. • How can we change this? Suggest
some ways to tackle this issue. * Agreement: Yes, traditions and lineage (like the bangle-making
caste) condemn people to poverty and suppress their dreams. * Explanation: The story shows how
families are forced into hazardous work, cannot afford basic meals, and children are compelled to
join the same trade early, preventing them from seeking better opportunities. They are burdened by
their birth caste and false beliefs. * How to change/tackle: * Promote education as a means of
breaking traditional cycles. * Enforce laws against child labor and exploitation. * Empower
communities to challenge oppressive traditions. * Support programs that offer alternative skills
and livelihoods. * Address the "vicious web" of exploiters (moneylenders, middlemen, corrupt
officials).

Do you have any other questions about these characters or the themes in "Lost Spring"?

Class 12 English Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood Question Answers Lesson 2 – Extract
Based Questions
Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct
option for each question by carefully reading the passage.
A. “I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a
mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other
family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry
where families have spent generations working around furnaces, wielding glass,
making bangles for all the women in the land it seems. Mukesh’s family is among them. None of
them know that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces with high
temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the law, if enforced, could get him and all
those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their daylight hours, often losing the
brightness of their eyes. Mukesh’s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home, which he proudly
says is being rebuilt.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE with reference to the extract?
A. Children work in badly lit and inadequately ventilated furnaces.
B. The children are not aware that it is forbidden by law to work..
C. Children work in the furnaces for hours which poorly affects their eyesight.
D. Firozabad has emerged as a budding producer of bangles in the country.
Ans: D
2. The simile ‘dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets’ indicates that his dream was
A. a reality, yet seemed distant.
B. lost in the sea of dust.
C. illusory and indistinct.
D. hanging in the dusty air.
Ans: C
3. ‘I will learn to drive a car,’ he answers, looking straight into my eyes. This sentence highlights
Mukesh was
1. Determined 2. Fearless 3. Hopeful 4. Valiant 5. Ambitious 6. stern
A. 1 & 5
B. 2 & 4
C. 2 & 5
D. 3 & 6
Ans: A
4. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles indicates that
A. bangle making is the only industry that thrives in Firozabad.
B. Everyone in Firozabad works in the bangle industry.
C. majority of the population in Firozabad is involved in bangle making.
D. bangle making is the most favoured occupation in Firozabad.
Ans: C
B. She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes. “Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin
khaya.” she says, in a voice drained of joy. She has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire
lifetime-that’s what she has reaped! Her husband, an old man with a flowing beard says, “I know
nothing except bangles. All I have done is make a house for the family to live in.” Hearing him one
wonders if he has achieved what many have failed in their lifetime. He has a roof over his head!
The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles, not
even enough to eat, rings in every home. The young men echo the lament of the elders. Little has
moved with time, it seems in Firozabad, years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the
ability to dream.
1. Choose the term which best matches the statement ‘The young men echo the lament of their
elders.’
A. acceptance
B. reflection
C. reiteration
D. doubtfulness
Ans: C
2. ‘Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream’. This shows that
A. Although the bangle manufacturers are tired and exhausted, they are ambitious and have dreams.
B. The drudgery of work has destroyed their willingness to improve their lot.
C. The grind of daily life has darkened and stolen the dreams of the bangle manufacturers.
D. There is no time for dreaming because the bangle manufacturers are working so hard.
Ans: B
3. ‘She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes.’ This implies that
A. She is married, but the charm in her eyes has faded.
B. She is a married woman who has aged poorly and lost her grace.
C. Though she is married, her eyes are devoid of happiness.
D. She is a married woman with visual impairment.
Ans: C
4. ‘He has a roof over his head!’ The tone of the author is
A. pessimistic.
B. empathetic.
C. sympathetic.
D. optimistic.
Ans: D
C. “Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging for gold in the
garbage dumps of my neighbourhood. Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of
Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms that swept away their fields
and homes, his mother tells him. That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now
lives.
1. Saheb’s home, before Delhi, was in|
A. Bengal
B. Orissa
C. Dhaka
D. Bihar
Ans: C
2. Why did Saheb and his family move to Delhi?
A. because storms had swept away their fields and homes
B. their village was flooded
C. there were landslides
D. there was a deadly virus in the village
Ans: A
3. ‘Why do you do this?’ This question was asked by the author to
A. the bangle sellers
B. Mahesh
C. Saheb
D. Saheb’s mother
Ans: C
4. Saheb’s profession was that of a
A. cook
B. rag-picker
C. bangle seller
D. driver
Ans: B
D. “If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking.
“Yes,” he says, smiling broadly. A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school
ready?”
It takes longer to build a school”. I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant.
But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.”
[Link] does the line occur?
Ans: These lines occur in the prose “Lost Spring” written by Anees Jung.
Q2. Who is referred to as ‘I’?
Ans: Here in this extract from “Lost Spring”, the writer Anees Jung is referred to as ‘I’.
Q3. Why is the speaker embarrassed?
Ans: The speaker is embarrassed because she promised Saheb to enrol in her school after she built
it. But as she did not do it and Saheb enquired about her school, she was embarrassed.
Q4. Find out the word from the passage which means ‘plenty’?
Ans:The word ‘plenty’ means abound.
E. “Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a
distant memory. There were many storms that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells
him.” That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives.
“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away. “Go to school,” I say glibly, realising
immediately how hollow the advice must sound.

Q1. Who is the speaker here?

Ans: Anne’s Jung,the author of ‘Lost Spring’ is the speaker here.
Q2. Who are ‘they’?
Ans: Here ‘they’ refers to the family of Saheb.
Q3. From where did ‘they’ come?
Ans: They came from Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Q4. What do they do now?
Ans: Now they pick rags in the dustbins in Delhi.
Q5. What has been swept away by storms?
Ans: The homes and fields of Saheb’s family were washed away by storms.
F. Food is more important for survival than an identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed
our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in
the fields that gave us no grain,” say a group of women in tattered saris when I ask them
why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they
pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming partners
in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, 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. But for a child it is even more. (SQP 2020-21)
Q1. The phrase ‘transit homes’ refer to the dwellings that are
A. unhygienic.
B. inadequate.
C. fragile.
D. temporary.
Ans: D. temporary.
Q2. Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence “Garbage to them is gold”.
A. hyperbole
B. simile
C. synecdoche
D. personification
Ans: A. hyperbole
Q3. Choose the term which best matches the statement ‘Food is more important for survival than an
identity.”?
A. immorality
B. necessity
C. obligation
D. ambition
Ans: B. necessity
Q4. What does ‘acquired the proportions of a fine art’ mean?
A. Rag-picking has regained its lost status.
B. A segment of ragpickers are skilled in fine arts.
C. Rag-picking has attained the position of a skill.
D. Only a few people are experts in rag-picking.
Ans: C. Rag-picking has attained the position of a skill.
G. “I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away. “Go to school,” I say glibly, realising
immediately how hollow the advice must sound. “There is no school in my neighbourhood. When
they build one, I will go.” “If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking. “Yes,” he says,
smiling broadly. A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school ready?” “It takes
longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant. But
promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world. (SQP 2021-22)
Q1. Saheb’s muttering and ‘looking away’ suggests his
A. anger
B. shyness
C. embarrassment
D. Anxiety
Ans: C. embarrassment
Q2. Of the four meanings of ‘glibly’, select the option that matches in meaning with its usage in the
extract.
A. showing a degree of informality
B. lacking depth and substance
C. being insincere and deceitful
D. speaking with fluency
Ans: B. lacking depth and substance
Q3. Who do you think Saheb is referring to as ‘they’, in the given sentence? “When they build one,
I will go”
A. The officials
B. The inhabitants
C. The teachers
D. The journalists
Ans: A. The officials
Q4. Select the option that lists the feelings and attitudes corresponding to the following: (1) I ask
half-joking (2) …he says, smiling broadly
A. 1. Part arrogance, part seriousness B. 1. Part amusement, part irritation 2. hesitation2.
submissivenessC.1. Part concern, part hurtD. 1. Part humour, part earnestness 2. pride2. Self belief
Answer: D
Q5. Select the option that lists reasons why Saheb’s world has been called ‘bleak’.
(1) The absence of parental presence
(2) The poor socio-economic conditions
(3) His inability to address problems
(4) His lack of life-skills
(5) The denied opportunities of schooling
A. (1) and (4)
B. (2) and (5)
C. (3) and (5)
D. (2) and (4)
Ans: B. (2) and (5)
I will now go through each extract and confirm the correct answers based on the provided text.

A. Extract Analysis
“I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a
mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other
family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry
where families have spent generations working around furnaces, wielding glass, making bangles for
all the women in the land it seems. Mukesh’s family is among them. None of them know that it is
illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells
without air and light; that the law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the
hot furnaces where they slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes.
Mukesh’s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE with reference to the extract? A.
Children work in badly lit and inadequately ventilated furnaces. (True - "dingy cells without
air and light") B. The children are not aware that it is forbidden by law to work. (True -
"None of them know that it is illegal") C. Children work in the furnaces for hours which
poorly affects their eyesight. (True - "losing the brightness of their eyes") D. Firozabad has
emerged as a budding producer of bangles in the country. (The extract says "famous for its
bangles" and "centre of India's glass-blowing industry," implying it's already established, not
budding.) Ans: D (Correct)
2. The simile ‘dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets’ indicates that his
dream was A. a reality, yet seemed distant. B. lost in the sea of dust. C. illusory and
indistinct. (A mirage is an optical illusion, suggesting it's not quite real or clear.) D. hanging
in the dusty air. Ans: C (Correct)
3. ‘I will learn to drive a car,’ he answers, looking straight into my eyes. This sentence
highlights Mukesh was
1. Determined (Yes, he's firm in his resolve)
2. Fearless (Yes, he looks "straight into my eyes" despite his situation)
3. Hopeful (Implied by his dream, but not the primary highlight of this sentence)
4. Valiant (Similar to fearless, but 'determined' and 'ambitious' fit more directly)
5. Ambitious (Yes, wanting to learn something new and achieve a specific goal)
6. Stern (No, his tone is not described as stern) Ans: A (1 & 5) (Correct)
4. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles indicates that A. bangle
making is the only industry that thrives in Firozabad. (Not necessarily the only industry, just
that many are involved). B. Everyone in Firozabad works in the bangle industry. (Not
"everyone", but "every other family" which implies majority). C. majority of the population
in Firozabad is involved in bangle making. (This aligns with "Every other family"). D.
bangle making is the most favoured occupation in Firozabad. (Could be, but "engaged in"
doesn't mean "favoured" - it could be out of necessity). Ans: C (Correct)

B. Extract Analysis
She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes. “Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin
khaya.” she says, in a voice drained of joy. She has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire
lifetime-that’s what she has reaped! Her husband, an old man with a flowing beard says, “I know
nothing except bangles. All I have done is make a house for the family to live in.” Hearing him one
wonders if he has achieved what many have failed in their lifetime. He has a roof over his head!
The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles, not
even enough to eat, rings in every home. The young men echo the lament of the elders. Little has
moved with time, it seems in Firozabad, years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the
ability to dream.
 1. Choose the term which best matches the statement ‘The young men echo the lament of
their elders.’ A. acceptance B. reflection C. reiteration (To echo means to repeat or
reiterate) D. doubtfulness Ans: C (Correct)
2. ‘Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream’. This
shows that A. Although the bangle manufacturers are tired and exhausted, they are
ambitious and have dreams. (Contradicts the statement "killed all initiative and the ability to
dream") B. The drudgery of work has destroyed their willingness to improve their lot.
(Drudgery is hard, monotonous work, and "killed all initiative" means no willingness to
improve). C. The grind of daily life has darkened and stolen the dreams of the bangle
manufacturers. (Similar to B, but B directly matches "killed all initiative"). D. There is no
time for dreaming because the bangle manufacturers are working so hard. (While they work
hard, the statement implies a deeper mental impact, not just lack of time). Ans: B (Correct)
3. ‘She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes.’ This implies that A. She is
married, but the charm in her eyes has faded. B. She is a married woman who has aged
poorly and lost her grace. C. Though she is married, her eyes are devoid of happiness. ("No
light in her eyes" often means lack of joy or hope). D. She is a married woman with visual
impairment. (While visual impairment is a hazard, "no light in her eyes" here is used
metaphorically for joy, especially contrasted with her statement about not having eaten a full
meal). Ans: C (Correct)
4. ‘He has a roof over his head!’ The tone of the author is A. pessimistic. B. empathetic. C.
sympathetic. D. optimistic. (The author sees even this basic achievement as something
positive, perhaps optimistically hoping for more for others, or finding a positive amidst the
misery). Correction: While it might seem empathetic or sympathetic, in the context of the
man having "failed to renovate a house, send his two sons to school" but at least has this,
the author's tone here is often interpreted as ironic or a grim form of optimism, highlighting
how low the bar for achievement is. Given the options, 'optimistic' might imply seeing a
positive where there's little, but it's a tricky one. Let's re-evaluate based on the provided
answer. The provided answer is D. Optimistic. This suggests the author finds even the basic
provision of shelter as a rare "achievement" in their difficult lives, framing it positively
relative to the widespread lack.

C. Extract Analysis
“Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging for gold in the
garbage dumps of my neighbourhood. Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of
Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms that swept away their fields
and homes, his mother tells him. That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now
lives.
1. Saheb’s home, before Delhi, was in A. Bengal B. Orissa C. Dhaka (Explicitly stated) D.
Bihar Ans: C (Correct)
2. Why did Saheb and his family move to Delhi? A. because storms had swept away their
fields and homes (Explicitly stated) B. their village was flooded C. there were landslides D.
there was a deadly virus in the village Ans: A (Correct)
 3. ‘Why do you do this?’ This question was asked by the author to A. the bangle sellers B.
Mahesh C. Saheb (Explicitly stated) D. Saheb’s mother Ans: C (Correct)
4. Saheb’s profession was that of a A. cook B. rag-picker (He is "scrounging for gold in the
garbage dumps") C. bangle seller D. driver Ans: B (Correct)

D. Extract Analysis
“If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking. “Yes,” he says, smiling broadly. A few days
later I see him running up to me. “Is your school ready?” It takes longer to build a school”. I say,
embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant. But promises like mine abound in every
corner of his bleak world.”
Q1. Where does the line occur? Ans: These lines occur in the prose “Lost Spring” written by
Anees Jung. (Correct)
Q2. Who is referred to as ‘I’? Ans: Here, Anees Jung, the writer of “Lost Spring,” is referred to
as ‘I’. (Correct)
Q3. Why is the speaker embarrassed? Ans: The speaker is embarrassed because she made a
promise to Saheb (to open a school) that she did not intend to keep, and Saheb later asked if the
school was ready. (Correct)
Q4. Find out the word from the passage which means ‘plenty’? Ans: The word is ‘abound’.
(Correct)

E. Extract Analysis
“Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a distant
memory. There were many storms that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him.”
That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives. “I have nothing else to
do,” he mutters, looking away. “Go to school,” I say glibly, realising immediately how hollow the
advice must sound.
Q1. Who is the speaker here? Ans: Anees Jung, the author of ‘Lost Spring,’ is the speaker here.
(Correct)
Q2. Who are ‘they’? Ans: Here ‘they’ refers to the family of Saheb. (Correct)
Q3. From where did ‘they’ come? Ans: They came from Dhaka in Bangladesh. (Correct)
Q4. What do they do now? Ans: Now they pick rags in the dustbins in Delhi. (Correct)
Q5. What has been swept away by storms? Ans: The homes and fields of Saheb’s family were
swept away by storms. (Correct)

F. Extract Analysis
Food is more important for survival than an identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed our
families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that
gave us no grain,” say a group of women in tattered saris when I ask them why they left their
beautiful land of green fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become
transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri
means rag-picking. Through the years, 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. But for a child it is
even more.
Q1. The phrase ‘transit homes’ refer to the dwellings that are A. unhygienic. B. inadequate. C.
fragile. D. temporary. (Transit implies moving through, so temporary dwelling). Ans: D.
temporary. (Correct)
Q2. Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence “Garbage to them is gold”. A. hyperbole
(Exaggeration for effect) B. simile C. synecdoche D. personification Ans: A. hyperbole (Correct)
Q3. Choose the term which best matches the statement ‘Food is more important for survival
than an identity.”? A. immorality B. necessity (Survival is a basic necessity) C. obligation D.
ambition Ans: B. necessity (Correct)
Q4. What does ‘acquired the proportions of a fine art’ mean? A. Rag-picking has regained its
lost status. B. A segment of ragpickers are skilled in fine arts. C. Rag-picking has attained the
position of a skill. (Implies a level of mastery and method, like a "fine art"). D. Only a few people
are experts in rag-picking. Ans: C. Rag-picking has attained the position of a skill. (Correct)

G. Extract Analysis
“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away. “Go to school,” I say glibly, realising
immediately how hollow the advice must sound. “There is no school in my neighbourhood. When
they build one, I will go.” “If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking. “Yes,” he says,
smiling broadly. A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school ready?” “It takes
longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant. But
promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.
Q1. Saheb’s muttering and ‘looking away’ suggests his A. anger B. shyness C. embarrassment
(He knows he doesn't have a good answer or an alternative) D. Anxiety Ans: C. embarrassment
(Correct)
Q2. Of the four meanings of ‘glibly’, select the option that matches in meaning with its usage
in the extract. A. showing a degree of informality B. lacking depth and substance (The author
immediately realizes how "hollow" the advice sounds, indicating it lacked real thought or
practicality). C. being insincere and deceitful D. speaking with fluency Ans: B. lacking depth and
substance (Correct)
Q3. Who do you think Saheb is referring to as ‘they’, in the given sentence? “When they build
one, I will go” A. The officials (Government or local authorities responsible for public services like
schools). B. The inhabitants C. The teachers D. The journalists Ans: A. The officials (Correct)
Q4. Select the option that lists the feelings and attitudes corresponding to the following: (1) I
ask half-joking (2) …he says, smiling broadly A. 1. Part arrogance, part seriousness B. 1. Part
amusement, part irritation 2. hesitation 2. submissiveness C. 1. Part concern, part hurt D. 1. Part
humour, part earnestness 2. pride 2. Self belief Ans: D (Correct)
Q5. Select the option that lists reasons why Saheb’s world has been called ‘bleak’. (1) The
absence of parental presence (Parents are present, just poor) (2) The poor socio-economic
conditions (Yes, poverty, lack of resources) (3) His inability to address problems (Not directly
implied as a reason for the bleakness, but a result) (4) His lack of life-skills (He has rag-picking
skills, so this is not the reason for bleakness) (5) The denied opportunities of schooling (Yes, lack of
education is a key part of his bleak world) Ans: B. (2) and (5) (Correct)