NCERT QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS ARE AFTER TEXT INTERPRETATION
LOST SPRING
Points to Remember
Saheb-e-Alam
- Name means – lord of the universe
- but earns living by rag-picking
- lives in Seemapuri
- works barefooted.
- Living conditions in Seema Puri
- On the outskirts of Delhi, yet miles away from it, home of 10,000
- rag pickers.
- make their living by rag-picking
- food and survival more important than an identity
- garbage to them is gold because it is a means of survival.
Mukesh
- A bangle maker of Firozabad
- works in high temperature
- work place – small and dirty
- Hazardous working conditions
- dreams of being a motor mechanic.
- Hazards of Working in Glass Bangle Factory
- high temperature.
- long working hours in front of hot furnace
- boys and girls assist parents in the dim light of flickering oil lamps.
- eyes more adjusted to dark than light.
- dust from polishing bangles affect their eyes
- exploited by money lenders, police, bureaucrats, politicians.
- fear of being ill-treated by police.
- live in a state of intense poverty.
- live in stinky lanes
- over crowded place with humans and aminals.
NCERT TEXT QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
Think As you Read (Page No: 17)
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Answer
Saheb is looking for coins and rupee note in the garbage dumps. Sometimes he finds a rupee, even a ten rupee note or a silve coin. There is always hope of finding more. He is in Seemapuri. 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 it.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Answer
The author comes across many shoeless rag-picker children in her neighbourhood. According to her, one explanation of this habit of remaining barefoot is that it is a tradition among the poor children of this country. However, the author quickly mentions that calling it a tradition could be just a means of
justification of the utter destitution.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
Answer
No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He is paid 800 rupees and all his meals but he has lost his freedom. His face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than his plastic bag. He is no longer his own master. He is as a servant at the tea-stall.
Page No: 20
1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Answer
Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles. The place is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer
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 the dark than to the light outside.
3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Answer
Mukesh belongs to a poor family of bangle-makers. But his attitude is very different from his family. He wants to break the family tradition of bangle making. He is daring and determined. He has hopes and dreams. He wants to be a motor mechanic.
Understanding Text
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Answer
There are many factors that cause migration of people from villages to cities. Some villagers voluntarily move to the cities in search for jobs and better civic and health facilities, etc.
Others are forced to migrate when natural disasters like flood, storm, drought, famine, etc. destroy their houses and properties. History has records of large scale migrations caused by wars. Also, many villagers who are better off than others manage to send their children to study in the cities. In the lesson ‘Lost Spring’, Saheb and his family migrates to Seemapuri from Dhaka after their houses were destroyed in the storms.
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?
Answer
Yes, the promises made to poor children are rarely kept. Often, they are not taken seriously or have been made on the pretext of retaining a child’s fancy for something. This keeps the child hoping for a better possibility till he/she realizes the truth. It is difficult for people to shatter the children’s dreams; while it is also painful to see these children thrive of false hopes given to them.
Once, while interacting with Saheb, the narrator ends up encouraging him to study and jokingly talks about opening a school herself. At that time she fails to realize that unknowingly she has sown a seed of hope in Saheb’s heart. She becomes conscious of her mistake when, after a few days, Saheb approaches her, inquiring about her school. Her hollow promise leaves her embarrassed.
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Answer
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.
Talking about the Text
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Answer
Mukesh was different from the others of his community. 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 way to success. The fact that he is willing to walk a long distance in order to learn the vocation, underlines his firm resolve. The only thing left for him to do is to make that first journey to that garage and request the owner to take him in and guide and direct him on his journey as a mechanic.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer
The impoverished workers in the glass bangles industry toil in potentially hazardous working conditions while welding. The furnaces they work in have extremely high temperature and lack proper ventilation. Persistently working in low light conditions, without any protective eye gear, leaves them blind. Even burns and cuts are quite common. The workers are quite prone to ailments such as lung cancer.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer
Child labour should be eliminated because it takes away from the child his childhood and the prospect of elementary education. Moreover, since the child labourers are cheap, and consequently engaged in hazardous and dangerous employment, they are often vulnerable to mental and physical illness. In order to curb this problem, it is important to make education easily accessible. Apart from that, the parents must be made aware of the consequences of working in harmful environments. It is also important to make the public aware of the fact that child labour is a criminal offence and is punishable under law. The government must ensure stricter child labour laws and that the offenders are punished.
EXTRA QUESTIONS
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. What is the irony in the name "Saheb-e-Alam"?
Ans. 'Saheb-e-Alam' means the 'Lord of the Universe' but Saheb was oblivious of what it meant. Contrary to what his name represented, he roamed the streets with his friends, an army of barefooted boys scrounging in the garbage heaps to make both ends meet.
2. Why have the ragpickers settled in Seemapuri?
Ans. Several families like Saheb have been the victims of nature's fury. They left Dhaka after storms swept away their fields and houses and settled in seemapuri.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.
Ans. Saheb is not happy working at the tea stall. Even though he is paid more and given his meals, but he is no longer his own master. The steel cansister seemed to be heavier than the plastic bag.
1. Garbage is gold for them. How?
2. What were the main problems faced by the bangle makers of
Firozabad?
3. Give a brief description of the factors responsible for their
miserable condition.
4. How do the ragpickers help their families?
5. How did the ragpickers settle in Seemapuri with no facilities?
6. How do young ragpickers support their parents?
7. Why was Saheb not happy with his new job?
8. Briefly describe the working conditions of the bangle making units
of Firozabad?
9. Why can't the bangle makers organise themselves into a cooperative?
LONG-ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Explain the significance of the title 'Lost Spring".
Spring is the season of optimism and hope. It symbolises life.
But, unfortuntely, millions of children in our country waste their
childhood in ragpicking and other hazardous industries. The joys of childhood, the vibrance of spring is lost either in the garbage or in dingy cells with furnaces. The grinding poverty and traditions condemn these children to a life of exploitation. They see very little hope of escaping from their impoverished life of misery & deprivation. Moreover, years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream. They are entangled in a spiral that moves from poverty to apathy to greed and to injustice.
2. Explain the lesson 'Lost Spring" is a realistic portrayal of the lives of the street children.
3. Compare and contrast the characters of Saheb and Mukesh.
4. What was the main cause of miseries faced by the bangle makers?
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< END>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Share this
0 Comment to "Lost Spring by Anees Jung"
Post a Comment