CHAPTER-2
THE LOST SPRING
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. Who was Saheb? What was he doing and why?
Ans. Saheb was a young boy of school-going age. He was looking for gold in the garbage dumps of the
big city. He had left his home in Dhaka, Bangladesh and came to the big city in search of living. He has
nothing else to do but pick rags.
Q2. “But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.” What promise does the
author recall? In what context was it made? Was it fulfilled?
Ans. The author asked Saheb about going to school. Saheb explained that there was no school in his
neighbourhood. He promised to go to school when they built one. Half joking, the author asked
whether he would come in case she started one. Saheb smiled broadly and agreed to come. After a
few days, he ran upto the author and asked if the school was ready. The author felt embarrassed. She
had made a promise that was not meant.
Q3. What is the meaning of Saheb’s full name? Does he know it? How does he conduct himself?
Ans. His full name is “Saheb-e-Alam”. It means the lord of the universe. He does not know it. If he
knew it, he would hardly believe it. He roams the streets barefoot with other rag-pickers. This army of
arefoot boys appears in the morning and disappears at noon.
Q4. How does the author focus on the ‘perpetual state of poverty’ of the children not wearing
footwear?
Ans. The author notices that most of the young children engaged in rag picking are not wearing
footwear. Some of them do not have chappals. Others want to wear shoes. Some say it is tradition to
stay barefoot. To the author it seems lack of money. Poverty forces them to walk without footwear.
Q5. Explain: “For children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. ”
Ans. Small children scrounge heaps of garbage. They expect to get some coin, note or valuable thing in
it. Sometimes they find a rupee or even a ten rupee note. This gives the hope of finding more. They
search it excitedly. For children, garbage is wrapped in wonder.
For the elders it is a means of survival. Thus, garbage has two different meanings.
Q6. Where does the author find Saheb one winter morning? What explanation does Saheb offer?
Ans. The author finds Saheb standing by the fenced gate of a neighbourhood club. He is watching two
young men, dressed in white, playing tennis. Saheb says that he likes the game, but he is content to
watch it standing behind the fence. He goes inside when no one is around. He uses the swing there.
Q7. What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy ? [All India 2014]
Ans. Saheb took up the job at a tea-stall. But he was not happy with it. He was no longer his own
master. His face had lost the carefree look. Although he earned ? 800, even then he was not satisfied.
Q8. How has “a dream come true” for Saheb but what is “out of his reach?”
Ans. Saheb is wearing discarded tennis shoes. One of them has a hole. Saheb does not bother about
the hole. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream come true. But tennis,
the game he is watching so intently, is out of his reach.
Q9. How does Saheb’s life change when he starts working at the tea-stall?
Ans. Saheb now has a regular income. He is paid 800 rupees and all his meals. Thus, food is no
problem. But his face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister in his hand now seems a burden.
He is no longer his own master. He may have to work for longer hours. The helplessness of doing
things at his own will makes him sad.
Q10. Who is Mukesh? What is his dream? Why does it look like “a mirage amidst the dust?”
Ans. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad, where every other family is engaged in
making bangles. His poor father has failed to renovate his house or send his two sons to school.
Mukesh insists on being his own master. His dream is to be a motor mechanic. He wants to drive a car.
Given the conditions of existence, his dream looks like a mirage amidst the dust.
[Link] do you learn about Firozabad from this chapter ?
Ans. Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry.
Families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the
women in the land. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles.
Q12. “Born in the caste of bangle-makers they have seen nothing but bangles.” Where do they ‘see’
bangles?
Ans. Children like Mukesh are bpm in the caste of bangle-makers. They know no other work.
They see bangles in the house, in the yard, in every other house, every other yard, every street in
Firozabad. The spirals of bangles lie in mounds in unkempt yards. They are piled on four wheeled hand
carts.
Q13. What contrast do you notice between the colours of the bangles and the atmosphere of the
place where these bangles are made?
Ans. The bangles are of every colour bom out of the seven colours of the rainbow. These are sunny
gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink and purple. Boys and girls work in dark hutments, next to the
flickering flames of oil lamps around furnaces, blowing glass, welding and soldering it to make
bangles.
Q14. What are most of the bangle-makers ignorant of? What would happen if law were enforced
strictly?
Ans. Most of the bangle-makers are ignorant of the fact that employing children in bangle making is
illegal. This is a hazardous industry. Many children become blind before reaching tHeir adulthood. If
the law were enforced strictly, 20,000 children would be released from
working hard throughout the day at hot furnaces with high temperatures. *
Q15. Where is Mukesh’s house located? What is he proud of?
Ans. Mukesh’s house is built in a slum-area. The lanes stink with garbage. The homes there are hovels
with crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows. These are crowded with families of humans and
animals. Most of these houses are shacks or huts. Mukesh is proud that his house is being rebuilt. His
eyes shine as he volunteers to take the author to his home,
Q16. What impression do you form about Mukesh ‘s family on having a glimpse of their ‘house?’
Ans. Mukesh’s house is a half built shack with a wobbly door. One part of it is thatched with dead
grass. There is a firewood stove. Spinach leaves are sizzling in a large vessel. More chopped vegetables
lie on aluminium platters. The eyes of the frail young woman are filled with smoke, but she smiles.
The scene depicts their grinding poverty but contentment with their lot.
Q17. Give a thumb-nail sketch of the “frail young woman” in the chapter ‘Lost Spring’.
Ans. The young woman is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Her eyes are filled with the smoke of
firewood. Though not much older in years, she commands respect as the daughter- in-law of the
house. She adheres to customs and traditions. She veils her face before male elders. She gently
withdraws behind the broken wall to do so.
Q18. How would you regard Mukesh’s father’s life and achievement?
Ans. Mukesh’s father was bom in the caste of bangle-makers. His father went blind with the dust from
polishing the glass of bangles. He is an old and poor bangle-maker. He has worked hard for long years,
first as a tailor and then as a bangle-maker. He has failed to renovate a house or send his two sons to
school.
Q19. “Savita is a symbol of innocence and efficiency.” Comment.
Ans. Savita is a young girl. She has put on drab pink dress. She is soldering pieces of glass. Her hands
move mechanically like the tongs of a machine. She is innocent as she is ignorant about the sanctity of
the bangles she helps to make.
Q20. What do bangles symbolise? When, according to the author, will Savita know “the sanctity of the
bangles she helps make?” How is the Indian bride dressed?
Ans. Bangles symbolise auspiciousness in marriage for an Indian woman. Savita will come to know
“the sanctity” of the bangles when she becomes a bride. The head of a bride is draped with a red veil.
Her hands are dyed with red henna. Red bangles are rolled on to her wrists.
Q21. “She still has bangles on her wrist but no light in her eyes.” What exactly does the author want
to convey through this?
Ans. ‘She’ is an elderly woman who became a bride long ago. Since her husband, an old man with a
flowing beard is still alive, she still has bangles on her wrist. She has, however, not enjoyed even one
full nteal in her entire lifetime. So, there is no light in her eyes. This is just a comment on the abject
poverty and helplessness of the bangle-makers.
Q22. “The young men echo the lament of their elders. ” What do you think is the common complain
t ? How has it affected their lives?
Ans. The bangle-makers of Firozabad are quite poor. They do not have enough money to do anything
except carry on the business of making bangles. Some even do not have enough to pacify their
hunger. Building a house for the family is an achievement for them. Years of mind-numbing toil have
killed all initiative and the ability to dream.
Q23. Why do the bangle-makers not organise themselves into a cooperative?
Ans. Most of the young bangle-makers have fallen into the traps of the middlemen. They are also
afraid of the police. They know that the police will haul them up, beat them and drag to jail for doing
something illegal. There is no leader among them to help them see things differently. Their fathers are
equally tired. They can do nothing except carrying on their i inherited business.
Q24. Which two distinct worlds does the author notice among the bangle-making industry ?
Ans. The families of the bangle-makers belong to one of these worlds. These workers are caught in the
web of poverty. They are also burdened by the stigma of the caste in which they are bom. They know
no other work. The other world is the vicious circle of the moneylenders, the middlemen, the
policemen, the keepers of the law, the bureaucrats and the politicians.
Q25. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad? [Delhi 2014]
Ans. Mukesh is quite different from other bangle makers of Firozabad because he has the courage to
take initiative and break from the traditional family occupation. He has strong will power also. He
insists on being his own master by becoming a motor mechanic.
Q26. What do you think is the plight of the children born in the families of bangle-makers?
Ans. The vicious circle of the middlemen and their allies have entrapped the poor bangle- makers in
their nets. The stronghold is suffocating. They have imposed a heavy burden on little children. They
can’t put it down. Before they are able to think, they accept the baggages as naturally as their fathers.
Q27. What do you think is the theme of ‘Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood’?
Ans. The theme of the chapter is the grinding poverty and the traditions which condemn poor children
to a life of exploitation. The two stories taken together depict the plight of street children forced into
labour early in life and denied the opportunity of schooling. The callousness of the society and the
political class only adds to the sufferings of these poor people.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
[Link] are the dreams of the poor like ‘Saheb-e-Alam’ and Mukesh? Could these be realised? What
is the reality of the situation?
Ans. Poor rag-pickers like Saheb spend the early years of their lives looking for gold in garbage dumps.
The parents of these street children have no fixed income. They wage war against poverty and
hunger. They have no dreams except finding the means of survival. Garbage to them is gold. It is the
source of their daily bread and provides a roof over their heads. He ends up as a servant at a tea-stall
and loses his freedom.
Mukesh, the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad, has a dream of becoming a motor mechanic. He
wants to learn to drive a car. He thinks of joining a garage to fulfil his dream. He knows that the
garage is far away, yet he has decided to walk. He realises the reality and is willing to overcome the
obstacles. His daring to rise and decision to get free from the trap laid by vicious moneylenders and
middle men arouse a sense of [Link] of education, proper food and upbringing, these
children are forced into labour early in life.
Q2. Firozabad presents a strange paradox. Contrast the beauty of the glass bangles of Firozabad with
the misery of the people who produce them.
Ans. Firozabad, the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry, is famous for its bangles. Spirals of
bangles of various colours can be seen lying in mounds in yards or piled on four wheeled push carts.
These bangles have shining bright colours: sunny gold, paddy
green, royal blue, pink, purple-in fact, every colour bom out of the seven colours of the rainbow.
The banglemakers lead a miserable life. They know no other work than bangle making. They have
neither courage nor money to start another trade or job. they have spent generations in the clutches
of middle men and moneylenders. Extreme poverty forces them to remain hungry and yet work all
day. The elderly woman,who works with Savita, has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire
lifetime. Her husband has made a house for the family to live in. He has achieved what many have
failed in their lifetime. Mukesh’s father has failed to renovate a house or send his two sons to school.
Young boys are as tired as their fathers. Their work at hot furnaces makes them blind prematurely.
Q3.(i) “Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking.”
(ii) “Garbage to them is gold.”
(iii) “For the children it (garbage) is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.”
In the light of the above remarks write an account of the life and activities of the ragpickers settled in
Seemapuri (Delhi).
Or
Give a brief account of the life and activities of the Bangladeshi squatters like Saheb-e-Alam settled in
Seemapuri.
Ans. Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi, yet miles away from it metaphorically. Squatters
who came from Bangladesh way back in 1971 live here. Saheb’s family is one of them. Seemapuri was
then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. Nearly 10,000 ragpickers live there in structures
of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. These shanties are devoid of sewage, drainage or running
water. These people have lived there for more than thirty years without an identity or permit. They
have got ration cards that enable them to buy grains and get their names on voters’ lists. For them
food is more important for survival than an identity. The women put on tattered saris. They left their
fields as they gave them no grain. They pitch their tents wherever they find food. Ragpicking is the
sole means of their survival.
It has acquired the proportions of a fine art for them. Garbage to them is gold. It provides them their
daily bread and a roof over the heads. Most of the barefoot ragpickers roam the streets early in the
morning and finish their activities by noon. They seem to carry the plastic bag lightly over their
shoulders. They are clothed in discoloured shirts and shorts and denied the opportunity of schooling.
Q4. “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.” Comment on the hardships of the banglemakers of
Firozabad with special emphasis on the forces that conspire against them and obstruct their progress.
Ans. The bangle-makers of Firozabad are bom in poverty, live in poverty and die in poverty. For
generations these people have been engaged in this trade—working around hot furnaces with high
temperature, welding and soldering glass to make bangles. In spite of hard labour throughout the day,
the return is meagre. Some of them have to sleep with empty, aching stomachs. Others do not have
enough to eat. Whatever they do get is not delicious or nourishing.
The stinking lanes of their shanty town are choked with garbage. Their hovels have crumbling walls,
wobbly doors and no windows. These are overcrowded with humans and animals.
Poverty and hunger, social customs and traditions, stigma of caste and the intrigues of powerful lobby
that thrives on their labour combine to keep them poor, uneducated and hungry. The moneylenders,
the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians—all are ranged
against them. Children are engaged in illegal and hazardous work. Years of mind-numbing toil have
killed all initiative and ability to dream. They are unable to organise themselves into cooperative due
to lack of a leader and fear of ill-treatment at the hands of the police. They seem to carry the burden
that they can’t put down. They can talk but not act to improve their lot.
Q5. Compare and contrast the two families of bangle-sellers portrayed in ‘Lost Spring.’ Comment on
the roles of individuals in highlighting the issues raised by the author.
Ans. One of the families is that ofMukesh’s. It comprises three males and two females: Mukesh, his
brother, their father, their grandmother and the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. The grandmother
had watched her own husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. Mukesh’s
father is a poor old bangle maker, who has failed to renovate a house and send his two sons to school.
Mukesh and his brother make bangles. The wife of Mukesh’s brother is a traditional daughter-in-law
who follows the customs and cooks food for the family. The grandmother believes in destiny and
caste. Only Mukesh shows some sparks of fighting the system and declares that he wants to be a
motor mechanic.
Savita, the elderly woman and her old, bearded husband form the other family. Young and innocent
Savita works mechanically. The elderly woman highlights the plight of bangle makers who fail to enjoy
even one full meal during the entire lifetime. The old man has an achievement to his credit. He has
made a house for the family to live in. He has a roof over his head.
The lifestyle, problems and economic conditions of the two families are similar. There is only a
difference of degree but not of kind in their existence and response to life’s problems.
VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS
[Link] knows no friend but its feeder. The downtrodden lead a miserable life. Elucidate the
dictum keeping in mind the following lines:
“survival in Seemapuri means ragpicking. 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, “
Ans. Poverty: A Vicious Circle
It is a well known saying that poverty is the root cause of all evils. Corruption, loot, begging and
incidents of theft are the offspring of abject poverty. The destitute lead a pitiable and miserable life.
They do not get sufficient food. Lack of funds constrain them to take recourse to illegal activities. Slum
dwellers always feel themselves dejected. They recognise only those beings who help them and feed
them. Political leaders take undue advantages of their poverty. They are misused to win elections.
Humanity, mankind, honesty, trust and love become significant when an individual succeeds in
satisfying his hunger. Hungry people need only food. There is a dearth of people who are capable of
converting obstacles into opportunities. These poor people are exploited ruthlessly by industrialists,
politicians and other middlemen. They scrounge for gold in the garbage dumps to earn their
livelihood. The hiatus between the rich and the poor seems difficult to be bridged. It is increasing day
by day. The poor are becoming poorer and the rich richer. There is no human being who would like to
work for their welfare. Their plight is pitiable and horrible. The residential areas of these people are
packed with filth. They become habitual of foul smell. Poverty is a vicious circle. It never comes to an
end. The unemployed youth are heading towards destruction. They do not remember anything except
the help they receive from the opportunistic people who feed them to materialise their vested
interests.
Ans. Life is Action and not Contemplation
Initiation is the law of nature. Success depends on the actions taken by an individual. One has to take
actions without wasting time. Dreams give us directions. But it should not be forgotten that a man
cannot become influential by only dreaming . One who does not utilise time fails to do anything
significant in life. Actions shape the destiny of the beings. Contemplation destroys happiness. Aimless
thinking aggravates woes and worries. It leads to nowhere. Such thinkers never get pleasure in this
world of mortals. Those who believe in taking actions attain their long cherished goals with an
astonishing ease. They never feel confused or perplexed. They never become a victim of depression.
All the human beings are to perform their duties on the earth. Contemplation leads to idleness. Life is
a judicious blend of contemplation and action. Contemplation transformed into action is of utmost
importance. Action without contemplation may be disastrous. Contemplation without action is a sin.
One should not waste time in thinking only. We should always remember that life is short and time is
swift. Procrastination is the thief of time. One should not forget that there’s a time for everything.
One should grab this opportune time to get success in life.
Q3. Dedication, determination and devotion are the factors responsible for phenomenal suc¬cess.
Substantiate the above quoted statement in the light of the following lines:
“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. 7 will walk’, he insists.”
Ans. Key to Success
Hard work is the key to success. Dogged determination and strong will power are the essential
ingredients of success. Industrious people never feel disheartened. They bum the mid night oil and
strive hard to achieve the desired goals. It is said that between two stools one falls on the ground.
Thus, one has to dedicate one’s life to a specific field. The long term goals and aims of life must be set
thoughtfully and not whimsically. The capricious nature of a fellow does not allow him to reach the
heights. Devotion always brings good results and rewards. The essence of devotion is trust or faith. If
one has trust in performing the actions, one is able in winning the battle of life. Trust gives strength
and strength gives birth to determination which leads to dedication. Devoted and dedicated people
never become a part of a problem. They remain a part of the solution. They do not do different things
but they do things differently. Their devotion to the field encourages them to have indepth
knowledge. Those who dare to climb the hill conquer Mount Everest. Dedication has no substitute. It
is the only way to great accomplishments.
Q4. Health plays an important role in the life of a mortal. But the destitute fail to get nutritious food
and do not remain healthy. It is said that health is wealth. People believe that a sound mind lives in a
sound body. Elucidate it taking ideas from the following lines:
“Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin Khaya.”
Ans. Health and Food
One has to accept the fact that if wealth is lost, something is lost and if health is lost, everything is
lost. The proverb A sound mind lives in a sound body’ is apt. A healthy man can enjoy the beauty of
this world. An unhealthy man misses one of the greatest boons given by the Almighty. A healthy
beggar is better than an unhealthy king. A person who accumulates enormous wealth and suffers
from chronic or fatal diseases cannot relish life.
He wastes his time in clinics and hospitals. Health is essential to have positive thoughts.
One should wake up early in the morning and take exercise. Nutritious food is indispensable for good
health. Junk food must be avoided. The destitute suffer because they do not get : sufficeient food.
They do not have any source of income. Undoubtedly good health plays a pivotal role in the life of a
mortal. Pecuniary gains are of utmost importance but a strong and sturdy body free from ailments is
of paramount importance. It has no substitute. A mortal cannot endure the loss of health. Creativity,
productivity and innovation get enhanced if a man is healthy. Thus, one should be in the best of
health so that one can lead a happy and contented life.
Q5. Child abuse is a very serious problem in our country. Children are forced by circumstances to work
in various factories. Write an article, on the topic ‘Child Abuse’. Take ideas from the following lines:
“None of them knows that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces 1 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.”
Ans. Child Abuse
Child abuse is a grave problem in India. Many children work for dhabas, factories and tea stall owners.
These are those unfortunate children of this country who don’t get even . meals three times a day. It
is a blemish on our nation. It is the duty of the governments to make arrangements of education for
these children. Child labour is common in the fields of agriculture, domestic service, sex industry,
carpet and textile industries, quarrying, bangle making and brick making. These children are forced to
work in horrible conditions. There are no set working hours for these children. They are given low
wages.
In some cases poverty of the household and low level of parental education are responsible , for child
labour. Employing children in factories implies that the nation’s future is in dark. These children never
feel happy. They become devoid of human emotions. They adoptillegal ways to earn their bread and
butter when they become able-bodied. It gives rise to .violence and corruption. Child labour should be
stopped and the governments should educate these children free of cost. At least elementary
education should be given to all children.