Q. 1. “Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds .....

” In the context of Mukesh, the

Ans. Value Points: —

Poverty stricken family/ burdened by stigma of caste — Vicious circle created by sahukars,
middlemen, policemen, keepers of law, bureaucrats. Detailed

Answer: “Listening to them, I see two different worlds…”, the author here is talking about two
families, one caught in the web of poverty, burdened by the stigma of caste in which they were
born and the other is the vicious circle of sahukars, the middleman, policemen, the keepers of
law, the bureaucrats and the policemen. All of them together they have put the burden on
Mukesh that he cannot keep aside. Before he even becomes aware of what he has, he accepts it
naturally like his father. For him to do anything else would mean to dare.

Q. 2. Was Saheb happy working at the tea stall? State reasons. [Comptt., Delhi/Outside
Delhi, 2018] OR What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy? [Outside Delhi Set-I, 2014]

OR

Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Why/ why not? [Delhi Set-III, 2012]

Answer: Saheb took up a job at a tea stall where he got eight hundred rupees a month. No, he
was not happy there as he had become a servant. He was no longer his own master and had to
work according to the whims and fancies of the tea stall owner. He had lost his freedom.

Q. 3. Why had the rag-pickers come to live in Seemapuri?

OR

Why did Saheb become a rag-picker? What did he look for in the garbage dumps?

OR

What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? From where did he come and why?

Answer: Saheb’s family came from Bangladesh in 1971 to live in Seemapuri, Delhi. They had
come there because their homes and fields were destroyed by storms. They had nothing left to
live on. He was always searching for a coin or a rupee or something valuable in the garbage
dumps. He did this as he had no other work to do. The garbage dump was a treasure box for
Saheb.
Q. 5. It is ‘a tradition to stay barefoot’. What is the attitude of the rag-pickers of Seemapuri
towards wearing shoes? OR What explanation does the author offer for the children not
wearing footwear?

Ans. The rag-pickers of Seemapuri do not have proper shoes to wear. They either, have
mismatched shoes or have never owned a pair in their lives. They stay barefoot. But they explain
it as a ’tradition’ rather than due to lack of money.

Q. 6. What does the reference to chappals in ‘Lost Spring’ tell us about the economic
condition of the rag-pickers?

Ans. Value Points: – no money to buy chappals – poor and impoverished – engaged as rag-
pickers – hand-to-mouth existence – exploited, have no work to do, no house to live – unhygienic
conditions of the slum dwellers – negligence and apathy of the affluent people in society.

Detailed Answer: The economic condition of the rag-pickers is pathetic. They have no permanent
place to live in. They live in temporary houses built of tarpaulin in an area with no sewage or
water supply. They do not have sufficient food to eat and to feed their children, and even the
children are involved in the work of rag-picking. Even small things like shoes are like huge
dreams for them which they know will never be fulfilled as they have no money to buy chappals.
The reference to chappals also points towards the negligence and apathy of the affluent people
of the society.

Q. 7. Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Comment.

Ans. The statement is absolutely correct. Rag-picking was the only job through which the
residents there earned their living. Having no job, home or land, this was their only means to
survive.

Q. 11. Why did Saheb’s parents leave Dhaka and migrate to India?

Detailed Answer: Saheb’s parents left Dhaka and migrated to India because repeated floods had
swept away their fields and homes, leaving them on the verge of starvation. Here, they could find
better living conditions and opportunities for livelihood.

Q. 12. What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil his dream? Why or
Why not?

Detailed Answer: Mukesh is a young boy whose family is engaged in making bangles. Mukesh’s
dream is to become a motor mechanic. Yes, he will be able to fulfil his dream as he has a strong
determination and wants to improve his living condition.
Q. 13. Mention the hazards of working in a bangle factory?

Ans. Value Points: — Ill-lit, ill-ventilated, unhygienic, dingy hovels - high temperature. - bends
the back of young children - loss of vision - become old before time. Detailed Answer: In a bangle
factory people work in ill-lit and ill-ventilated rooms in an unhygienic, dingy environment with high
temperatures. Children have their backs bent at a very young age, they lose their eyesight and
become old before time.

Q. 14. ‘‘It is his Karam, his destiny.’’ What is Mukesh’s family’s attitude towards their
situation?

Ans. Value Points: Views bangle making as destiny / mute acceptance / cannot dream of any
other option / no initiative left.

Detailed Answer: Mukesh’s family and other bangle makers have accepted their life as their
destiny. They have been doing this work for generations and this is all they know now. Years of
mind numbing toil has killed all their initiatives and they have accepted their miserable living
conditions as their fate.

Q. 15. Why can’t the bangle makers of Firozabad organize themselves into a cooperative?

Ans. The bangle makers of Firozabad can’t organize themselves because even if they get
organised, they are the ones who will be hauled up by the police, beaten up and dragged to jail
for doing something illegal. There is no leader among them, no one who could help them see
things differently.

Q.16. To which country did Saheb’s parents originally belong? Why did they come to
India?

Ans. Saheb’s parents originally belonged to Bangladesh (Dhaka). They came to India to earn
their livelihood because, in Dhaka, floods had damaged their fields and home.

Q. 17. A young man in Firozabad is burdened under the baggage of two worlds. What are
they?

Ans. The two worlds are the family, caught in a web of poverty, burdened by the stigma of caste
in which they are born and the 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.
Q. 18. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad?

Ans. Detailed Answer: Mukesh is different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad because
unlike others, he wanted to break the chains of age-old family lineage and aspires to become a
motor mechanic. He wanted to come out of the vicious circle of poverty.

Long Question Type Ansers

Q. 1. “It is his Karam, his destiny” that made Mukesh’s grandfather go blind. How did
Mukesh disapprove this belief by choosing a new vocation and making his own destiny?
[Comptt., Delhi Set I, 2015]

Ans. Mukesh belonged to a poor family of bangle makers. The bangle makers face many
problems in the glass industry. They have to work in the dingy cells without air and light, in the
high temperature of the furnace. The dust from polishing the bangles is injurious to eyes. They
often lose their eyesight before they become adults. Their eyes are more adjusted to darkness
than to the light outside. The unfavourable social and legal systems, the deceptive middlemen
and their own sad destinies keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in perpetual
poverty. The people of Firozabad have accepted this as their ‘Karam’ or destiny. They have lost
all initiative and hope to get out of their situation. But Mukesh was different. His attitude was very
different from his family. He wanted to break the family tradition of bangle making. He was daring
and determined. He had hopes and dreams. He wanted to be a motor mechanic and that is how
he disapproved the established beliefs by choosing a new vocation, and making his own destiny.

Q. 2. ‘Garbage to them is gold.’ How do rag pickers of Seemapuri survive? [Delhi Set-I/II/III
2017, Delhi 2015]

OR

“For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.” What
kind of life do the rag-pickers of Seemapuri lead? [Outside Delhi Set-I/II/III, 2017]

Answer: The rag-pickers of Seemapuri immigrated to Delhi from Bangladesh, in 1971 hoping for
a bright and promising future. However, their situation in the city is not as comfortable as they
expected. The rag-pickers of Seemapuri live in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin.
The locality lacks proper sewage, drainage system and running water. All these years, they have
lived without an identity and they are still living like that. In spite of having no proper identity and
permits, they are surviving. They don’t have ration cards which put them on the Voter’s list and
enable them to buy grains. Survival is all that matters to them. This is why they pitch their tents
wherever there is food. Garbage and rag-picking are means of survival for the people in
Seemapuri, it earns them their daily bread and puts a roof over their heads. Sometimes, while
scrounging the garbage, finding money, whether one rupee or ten, is the highlight of their day,
especially for the children; as it gives them hope. For children, the garbage is wrapped in
wonder, whereas for elders, it is a means for survival. Therefore, the writer is right when she
says, “garbage to them is gold.”
 Diffrrence between Saheb and Mukhesh ( Value Points)

Saheb and Mukesh have contrasting lives and outlooks. Saheb, a ragpicker in Seemapuri,
experiences a life of survival and a resigned attitude, while Mukesh, from a family of
glassblowers in Firozabad, possesses ambition and a desire to escape the cycle of poverty.
Saheb's life is marked by limited opportunities and a sense of being stuck in his circumstances,
whereas Mukesh dreams of becoming a motor mechanic and breaking free from the family
tradition.

Saheb's Life:

• Resigned Attitude:

Saheb is more resigned to his circumstances, lacking a strong drive for change.

• Survival Focus:

His life revolves around basic survival and rag-picking.

• Limited Dreams:

He doesn't have grand aspirations but rather focuses on immediate needs and basic comforts.

• Innocence and Hope:

Despite his circumstances, Saheb retains a childlike innocence and a glimmer of hope for a
better future, particularly when he dreams of attending school or getting a pair of shoes.

Mukesh's Life:

• Ambitious and Determined:

Mukesh is driven by a desire for a better life and is determined to break free from his family's
traditional occupation.

• Desire for Change:

He aspires to become a motor mechanic, demonstrating a strong will and a refusal to be

• Dream of Independence:

Mukesh dreams of being his own master and controlling his destiny, contrasting with his family's
resignation to the cycle of poverty.

• Courage and Initiative:

Mukesh possesses the courage and initiative to pursue his dreams, even in the face of societal
expectations and the hardships of his life.