LOST SPRING

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come
from?
Ans. Saheb is looking for gold in the garbage dumps. He is in the neighbourhood of the
author. Saheb has come from Bangladesh. He Came with his mother in 1971. His house was
set amidst the green fields of Dhaka. Storms swept away their fields and homes. So they left
the country.
Q2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Ans. One explanation offered by the author is that it is a tradition to stay barefoot. It is not
lack of money. He wonders if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of
poverty. He also remembers the story of a poor body who prayed to the goddess for a pair of
shoes.
Q3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
Ans. No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He is no longer his own master. His face
has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would
carry so lightly over his shoulder. The bag was his. The canister belongs to the man who
owns the tea-shop.

THINK AS YOU READ

Q1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Ans. The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is
engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry. Families have
spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for the women in
the land.
Q2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?
Ans. Boys and girls with their fathers and mothers sit in dark hutments, next to lines of
flames of flickering oil lamps. They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their
eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. They often end up losing
eyesight before they become adults. Even the dust from polishing the glass of bangles is
injurious to eyes. Many workers have become blind. The furnaces have very high
temperature and therefore very dangerous.
Q3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Ans. Mukesh’s grandmother thinks that the god-given lineage can never be broken. Her son
and grandsons are bom in the caste of bangle makers. They have seen nothing but bangles.
Mukesh’s father has taught them what he knows—the art of making bangles. But Mukesh
wants to be a motor mechanic. He will go to a garage and learn, though the garage is far
away from his home.
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 livelihood. Their fields fail to provide
them means of survival. Cities provide employment, jobs or other means of getting food.
The problem in case of the poor is to feed the hungry members. Survival is of primary
concern.
Q2. Would you agree that promises made to the poor children are rarely kept? Why do you
think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Ans. The promises made to the poor are rarely kept. The author asks Saheb half-joking,
whether he will come to her school if she starts one. Saheb agrees to do so. A few days later
he asks if the school is ready. The writer feels embarrassed at having made a promise that
was not meant. Promises like hers abound in every comer of their bleak world.
Q3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans. Certain forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty.
These include the moneylenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the
bureaucrats and the politicians. Together they impose a heavy burden on the child.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Q1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Ans. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad. Most of the young men of
Firozabad have no initiative or ability to dream, but Mukesh is an exception. He has the
capacity to take courage and break from the traditional family occupation. He has strong will
power also. He does not want to be a pawn in the hands of the middlemen or
moneylenders. He insists on being his own master by becoming a motor mechanic.
He can realise his dream by joining a garage and learn the job of repairing cars and driving
them. He will have to overcome many hurdles before he succeeds. Then comes transport
problem. Money is the first one. He will have to earn some money himself. The garage is a
long way from his home. He will have to cover it twice everyday anyhow—by walking on
foot.
Patience, hardwork, firm will and the determination to learn will help him realise his dream.
Q2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Ans. The glass bangles industry has many health hazards. It usually employs small children. It
is illegal to employ very young children in hazardous industries, but certain forces like !
middlemen, moneylenders, police and politicians combine to entrap the poor workers.
Let us first consider the places where bangle makers work. It is a cottage industry. They work
in the glass furnaces with high temperatures. The dingy cells are without air and light. Boys
and girls work hard during day next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps.
They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to
the dark than to the light outside. That is why, they often end up losing their eyesight before
they become adults.
Glass blowing, welding and soldering pieces of glass are all health hazards. Even the dust
from polishing the glass of bangles adversely affects the eyes and even adults go blind. Thus,
the surroundings, prevailing conditions and the type of job involved-all prove risky to the
health of the workers.
Q3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Ans. Child labour should be eliminated because the children employed at tender age as i
domestic servants, dish-washers at road-side dhabas and in hazardous industries making
glass bangles, biris, crackers etc. lose the charm of the spring of their life. Their childhood is
stolen. Burdened by the responsibility of work, they become adults too soon. Most of them
are undernourished, ill-fed, uneducated, and poor. They have a stunted growth.
Child labour can be eliminated only through concerted efforts on the part of government
agencies, NGOs (Non-Government Organisations), co-operative societies and political
leaders. Mere passing of law will not help. Laws should be enacted faithfully. The children
thrown out of work should be rehabilitated and given proper food, clothes, education and
pocket money. Their feelings, thoughts and emotions should be respected. Let them enjoy
sunshine and fresh air.

Theme of Lost Spring

Lost Spring is the story of underprivileged children who are deprived of dreaming, forget
about fulfilling those. The theme of the story is to introduce readers to the small towns of
India where communities such as rag pickers or bangle makers struggle every day for their
survival. It talks about the stolen childhood of children who, from an early age, have been
indulged in the profession that their parents are into. The story also talks about a few brave
ones, who at least have the guts of dreaming.
The callousness of society and the political class to the sufferings of the poor is also worth
noting as a sub theme to both of these stories in “LOST SPRING”

Key Themes Explored:

 Loss of Childhood Innocence/Childhood Labor:
The stories depict children who are deprived of the joys and opportunities of childhood due
to poverty and exploitation.
 Impact of Poverty and Child Labor/Poverty or Exploitation:
The history shows us, how economic conditions force children into labor, denying education
and a chance to break the cycle of poverty.
 Societal Neglect/Social Injustice:
The stories highlight the indifference and lack of support for these children from a broader
society.
  Resilience and Hope:
Despite the bleak circumstances, the children's resilience and their ability to find moments
of hope in their lives are also explored.
 The Importance of Education:
The narrative emphasizes the transformative power of education as a way for children to
escape their poverty and build a better future.
 Lost Childhood and Dreams:
This highlights how poverty and child labor rob children of their innocence, education, and
aspirations, forcing them into a life of hardship far too early.