CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo Lost Spring Anees Jung Assignment

Understanding the Lesson: Spring is the Season of optimism and hope. Spring is the metaphor of childhood stage in a person’s life. From birth till late childhood, life for every child is almost the beginning of a bright and a shiny future. Childhood is featured by innocence, physical stamina and vitality, tremendous urge for the outdoors and a tremendous appetite for fun and play. Activities have no limits. It is also the stage for gaining skill and knowledge, learning and going to school. 

The Lost Spring by Anees Jung is an expression of national shame of children condemned to poverty and a life of exploitation. The two protagonists of the chapter, Saheb-e-Alam and Mukesh lose their childhood in carrying the burden of poverty and illiteracy. In their bleak stories of exploitation, the author finds glimpses of resilience and fortitude. 

Saheb and his family have left their homes and green fields in Dhaka to settle in Seemapuri. They had left Dhaka because of storms and floods. They feel it is better to be without identity than going hungry. Seemapuri is geographically close to Delhi, but its traditions, standard of life and people are far away from Delhi. Seemapuri was a deserted area when the Bangladeshis arrived here three decades ago. They were forced to come here due to the natural disasters in Bangladesh. They loved Seemapuri because they could survive here. They had food and shelter here. 

The author’s description of the life of the rag pickers in Seemapuri is touching. 10,000 people have come as squatters, staying in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. Squatters are persons who unlawfully occupy an uninhabited building or unused land. They have stayed there without any identity but food is more important than identity. Their fields in Dhaka could not give them food whereas being rag pickers, they don’t go hungry. In Seemapuri survival means rag picking. The elders have made it their profession for a fixed wages whereas for the children rag picking is a game of treasure-hunting. They work through the garbage with a hope that one day they would get a gold coin or a rupee note from the garbage heap. Through years rag picking has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Like any other art form, rag picking possesses certain talents and rules. One needs guidance and inborn talents to be a successful rag picker. He should know where to find garbage, what to take, what to ignore, what time is best for it and so on. In Seemapuri every child is skilled in this art form. Saheb-e-Alam doesn’t know the meaning of his name – lord of the universe-which he is not. He was a rag picker. He and his fellow rag pickers are barefooted and the reason one of them gives is his mother does not bring his shoes down from the shelf. The author has met many barefooted children roaming around. The reason is that it is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot. According to Anees Jung, it is just an excuse to explain their state of poverty.

Education has brought timely changes in many people’s lifestyle like the priest from Udipi and his son. A man from Udipi once told the author his own story when he was a boy and his father a priest in the temple. As a young boy he would go to school past this old temple and stop briefly to pray for a pair of shoes. Thirty years later when the author visited his town and the temple, she saw a lot of modern instances in the town and lifestyle of the people. The priest’s son now goes to school, wearing shoes and socks carrying a school bag. The author means to indicate the timely changes education brings to people and how the illiterate rag pickers remain unchanged, carrying the rotten traditions. The rag pickers have no way out of poverty since they have no chance to go to school and be educated. Saheb is now employed in a tea shop with a fixed wage of 800 rupees and all meals. He is not happy as he has lost his freedom as he is bound to the owner of the tea stall who is his master. He is no longer his own master.
The title ‘Lost Spring’ is justified in the first part as Saheb-e-Alam’s childhood – his spring time is lost first in picking rags and then in working for a master.

Main Points :-

Part A : Seemapuri

1. The boy Saheb-e-Alam meaning. 'The Lord of Universe' lives in Seemapuri, on the outskirts of Delhi
2. A refugee from Bangladesh, he does rag-picking for survival. He lives in miserable unhygienic conditions.
3. Bangladesh refugees have been living in Seemapuri since 1971, without permits but with only ration cards.
4. Rag-picking has gradually acquired the proportions of a fine art, Sometimes it brings them coins, a ten rupee note and even some valuable surprises.
5. On her next encounter, the author comes across 'Saheb' as an employee in a tea-stall, doing hard work.
6. Now, the care-free look of Saheb has been replaced by worries and anxieties on his face.

Part B: Firozabad

1. Mukesh, living in Firozabad, employed in the family business of making bangles, is ambitious to become a motor mechanic.
2. His grandmother considers 'bangle-making' to be God-given lineage owing to their caste and tradition.
3. Savita, also engaged in bangle-making, does not understand the importance of bangles in Indian society.
4. Those engaged in 'bangle-making' lose their eye-sight owing to the glass-dust, their working conditions are very tough.
5. They are ill-treated, ill-fed and ill brought up for want of money.
6. They fail to organise themselves into a co-operative as they are in the trap of vicious circle of Middlemen , Sahukars, policemen and politicians.
7. Their 'family traditions' and the 'Vicious Circle' keep them in this perpetual trap.
8. Mukesh dreams big but lack of resources such as-money, education etc put a check on his dreams, will he be able to pursue his dreams?

Major features :-

Issues- Raised :
(a) Child-labour
(b) Exploitation in the name of traditions
(c) Corruption by those in power and position.

GIST OF THE LESSON

• The author examines and analyses the impoverished conditions and traditions that condemn children to a life of exploitation these children are denied an education and forced into hardships early in their lives.
• The writer encounters Saheb - a rag picker whose parents have left behind the life of poverty in Dhaka to earn a living in Delhi.
• His family like many other families of rag pickers lives in Seemapuri. They do not have other identification other than a ration card.
• The children do not go to school and they are excited at the prospect of finding a coin or even a ten rupee note for rummaging in the garbage.
• It is the only way of earning the life they live in impoverished conditions but are resigned to their fate.
• The writer is pained to see Saheb, a rag picker whose name means the ruler of earth, lose the spark of childhood and roams barefooted with his friends.
• From morning to noon the author encounters him in a tea stall and is paid Rs. 800 He sadly realizes that he is no longer his own master and this loss of identity weighs heavily on his tender shoulders.
• The author then tells about another victim, Mukesh who wants to be a motor mechanic.
• Hailing from Firozabad, the centre of India's bangle making and glass blowing industry, he has always worked in the glass making industry.
• His family like the others there do not know that it is illegal for children to work in such close proximity to furnaces, in such high temperatures.
• They are exposed to various health hazards like losing their eyesight as they work in abysmal conditions, in dark and dingy cells.
• Mukesh's father is blind as were his father and grandfather before him.
• They lead a hand to mouth existence as they are caught in the vicious web of the money lenders, middlemen, police and the traditions
• So burdened are the bangle makers of Firozabad that they have lost their ability to dream unlike Mukesh who dreams of driving a car.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question. ‘Lost Spring’, is a sad commentary on the political system of our country that condemns thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Comment.
Answer: Saheb, optimistic and enthusiastic—prospect of finding gold in garbage—likes going to school but no opportunity—freedom and joy of childhood to burdens of job at tea-stall.
Mukesh, born at Firozabad (bangle maker)—works under inhuman condition—dark room, hot furnaces—caught in web of poverty—vicious circle of sahukars, policemen, politicians, bureaucrats and moneylenders—resigned to fate—unaware of child labour act—stifled initiation and hope—lose eyesight before becoming adults

Question. How is the line ‘few airplanes fly over Firozabad’ symbolically significant?
Answer: The author finds a spark of motivation in Mukesh who is quite determined about realizing his dream of becoming a motor mechanic. He is ready to walk to a garage far from his home. The author asks if he ever dreams of flying a plane- the question embarrasses him and Mukesh replies in the negative. He is satisfied with the more tangible and attainable dream related to the fast moving cars that he saw on the streets each day. Airplanes symbolize something distant, just like a far-fetched dream – people of Firozabad were not exposed to grand dreams like that.

Question. The life of bangle makers of Firozabad was full of obstacles which forced them to lead a life of poverty and deprivation. Discuss with reference to Lost Spring.
Answer: Bangle makers born in poverty, live in poverty, die in poverty - For generations people have been engaged in this trade - Work in inhuman conditions -
Although they work hard but the profit is meagre - Their hovels have crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows - They are overcrowded with humans and animals - Social customs, traditions, stigma of caste and people in authority combine so that they remain poor and uneducated - Money lenders, middlemen, politicians and policemen are all against them - Unable to organize themselves into a cooperative due to lack of a leader - They have lost the ability to dream - They can only talk but not act to improve their lot.

Question. The bangle-makers of Ferozabad make beautiful bangles and make everyone happy but they live and die in squalor. Elaborate
Answer: — utter poverty generation after generation, —–believe they are destined to work in bangle factories,—-make beautiful bangles but live in dark, —–bright furnaces to do welding, —-they lose their eyesight, —-victims of vicious circle of middlemen, —law enforcing authorities prey upon them, — bleak future.

Question. Give a brief account of the life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in Seemapuri.
Answer: – poor rag pickers / unschooled / barefoot / sometimes taking up odd jobs like working at tea stalls - – garbage to them is gold, it is their daily bread, – migrants (squatters) from Bangladesh, came to Delhi in 1973 - – their fields and homes swept away in storms - – live in structures of mud with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, - drainage or running water - – have lived for more than 30 years without identity, without permits but with ration cards - – no intention of going back to their own country
– wherever they find food, they pitch their tents.

Question.‘Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why / Why not?
Answer: – duly supported by examples from text, – both caught in the vicious cycle of poverty, apathy, affected by the greed ofothers, injustice, – lost childhood – spring of life Mukesh’s story – bangle making industry, – caught in the web of middlemen, politicians, policemen, the keepers of law, bureaucrats, – lose all spirit and ability to dream
Saheb-a-Alam’s story, – rag picker, scrounging for gold, walking bare foot, got job, not happy because no freedom, lost childhood, – any other relevant point.

Question. Explain the significance of title ‘Lost Spring’.
Answer: In this lesson, the author Anees Jung examines and analyses the grinding poverty and tradition that condemn children to a life of exploitation.
Saheb as a ragpicker whose parents have left behind a life of abject poverty in Bangladesh. His family, like the many other families of rag pickers lives in Seemapuri. They live in miserable condition. The writer is pained to see Saheb, whose name means the ruler of the Earth, lose the spark of childhood. She then proceeds to tell about Mukesh who does want to be his own master. Hailing from Firozabad, the centre of India’s bangle making and glass blowing industry, he has always worked in the glass making factory. His family does not know that it is illegal for children to work in such close to furnaces with such high temperatures. They are exposed to various health hazards like losing their eyesight as they work in dark and dingy cells. The family of bangle maker of Firozabad are so burdened that they have lost their ability to dream. The writer’s observation is that these poor hopeless people are but pawn in the games that are played by Sahukars, middlemen, the policemen, the bureaucrats and the politicians.
The title is meaningful as they lost their spring (childhood). The writer has beautifully essayed the story of stolen childhood with a view to sensitizing us to the plight of these poor unfortunate children.

Explain the following statements.

1. Seemapuri, (is) a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.’
Geographically, Seemapuri is a place on the outskirts of Delhi. It housed migrants from Bangladesh, who earned their living as rag pickers. A run down place that lacked amenities of sewage, drainage, or running water, it was unlike the life of glitter and glamour in Delhi. People in Delhi lived a luxurious life in contrast to the poverty prevailing in Seemapuri.

2. Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking.
Rag pickers who live in Seemapuri on the outskirts of Delhi are very poor. They do not have a proper source of income. Since their migration from Bangladesh in 1971 they have been engaged in rag picking. It is the only means of survival for them. So survival in Seemapuri means rag picking.

3. An army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon.
The author uses the metaphor of ‘army’ to describe a group of rag pickers who invade garbage dumps in the streets of Delhi. Next, she uses the simile ‘like birds’ to describe the manner in which these rag pickers coverge on and desert the garbage dumps like the scavenger birds haunting these dumps. Just like the birds, the boys are free spirited and enjoy and revel in their freedom.

4. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
Mukesh wanted to be a motor mechanic and he was prepared to walk to the garage to learn. He never dreamt of flying a plane as to the slum dwellers in Firozabad, planes were a far-fetched reality. Because of the limited exposure in the slums of Firozabad, Mukesh dreamt within his means.

5. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag.
Saheb doesn’t seem to be happy working at the tea stall. His face doesn’t show the carefree look of the old days though he is paid.. He feels bound and burdened. The steel canister he holds seems heavier than plastic bag he would carry so lightly on his shoulders. The bag was his; the canister belongs to the owner of the shop. Saheb is no longer his own master.

6. Little has moved with time in Firozabad.
Though laws have been made against child labour, children still continue to work in the bangle industry in Firozabad. The children working in this industry are exploited by money lenders, the middlemen and the bureaucrats. Even the police do not protect them. They lead a miserable and hard life. They live and work in inhuman conditions. In fact, little has moved with the time in the city of bangle makers. They are as poor and miserable as they were before.

Long Answer Questions

Question. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Answer: People migrate for various reasons- basic needs ...food, clothing and shelter – in search of job opportunities, education – fulfil their dreams – make money and some for name and fame – social, economic and political environment plays a prominent role – lack of physical infrastructure( no medical support, no educational institutions, no other forms of employment)- lack of public health amenities like sewage, water- inability to deal with environmental hazards- limited opportunities for progress-aspirations for a better lifestyle.

Question. For most women, bangles are dreams in glass but for bangle makers of Firozabad they are a vicious circle they cannot wriggle out of. Comment.
Answer: Bangles – red, green, blue, yellow etc – symbol of suhaag – auspiciousness in marriage – in today’s world – fashion statement for the young and old women alike – glass bangles of varied hues adorning a woman’s wrist provide – visual treat – music of their own with their sweet clinking and tinkling – rainbow colours and bright hues bangles – spread joy and happiness in the lives of women – Ironically – bangle makers lead a miserable life – underdeveloped industry, lack of basic amenities and infrastructure – glass furnaces- ill lit – ill ventilated – dingy hovels with high temperatures –barely have a full meal a day - live in shacks – temporary roofs, crumbling walls and wobbly doors - lose eyesight at a young age – live in a dark world – no help no hope.

Question. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Answer: Caught in two distinct worlds – one is of the bangle makers who continue to live in poverty and destitution
Lead a life of poverty and misery – lack of enough money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles – families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in the land – young men who learn the art of making bangles from their elders follow in their footsteps – years of mind numbing toil have killed all initiative and ability to dream – carry on the job of making bangles Do not have a leader – organise them into a cooperative and improve their economic conditions – vicious circle of the sahukars, the middlemen, the keepers of the law, the bureaucrats and the politicians – both these worlds have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down.
Before he is aware, he accepts it as did his father. To do anything else would mean to dare. So this forces the workers to continue working in the bangle industry – thus lead a life of misery and poverty.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Question. Child labour is an eternal problem in India despite much legislation made by the Government. Small children working in dhabas or roadside eateries have become a common sight. The ordeals undergone by them do not evoke any response from us. Looking at all these facts, write an article on ‘How can Child Labour Be Eliminated’
Answer:
• Ban on child labour has come into effect- but not much hope
• Life for them is still full of misery and drudgery
• Mere ban will not help abolish child labour
• We must address the reasons (poverty-illiteracy-extra income for big families)that force them to take up such jobs
• Give them education or training in some skills
• Awareness regarding literacy can be created through media Rehabilitation –hand in hand with ban

Question. Choosing a career is the focus of most of the children, when they go to school. In some cases, it is up to the children to decide the career they wish to pursue but in some cases, it is the parents who force their views on the children. Children like Mukesh or Saheb are left with no choice. Keeping this in mind, write an article in 100 words.
Answer:
• Deciding on a career is one of the most difficult decisions
• Parents know what is best for their children-best well-wishers and guides
• But sometimes decisions can be unfair because the child should be the ultimate judge
• If the child is forced into something that he does not like- may end to be a failure
All careers are equally good- what matters is how best one can shine in it.

Question. Anees Jung in ‘Lost Spring’ advises Saheb, a poor rag boy, to join school, knowing that it was not possible. She later regrets making promises to him, uttering hollow words that were not meant to be fulfilled. Promises like hers abound in every corner of the bleak world. This is a sad refection on human psychology. Why do we make false promises to beggars and others, without really meaning them? What does this reflect about our attitudes? Write an article in 100 words on ‘The importance of Being Earnest’.
Answer:
• When a student is asked why he has not finished his homework –standard answer is that he had done it but forgotten to bring it to school.
• Incidents like these raise ethical questions- why do we really say something without meaning them
• Hypocrisy, double standards, cheating-part of our lives
• We have forgotten to be earnest-accept our mistakes
• If we accept our mistakes- we will be more responsible
• Our words will evoke confidence and trust in others Let’s stand up and be earnest and true at least to ourselves.

Question. Mukesh in the lesson ‘Lost Spring’ has had a dream. He is thinking of throwing away the baggage of traditions and family profession. To do anything else would mean to dare. To be able to dream is very important for a person, otherwise there is no future. Keeping this in mind, write a speech in 100 words on the topic, ‘The Importance of Dreams’.
Answer:
• Every mission or achievement has been a dream in its infancy
• Realistic dreams, if nurtured are the foundations of a successful future.
• Every dream carries with it the energy for its realisation
• When one dreams one prepares oneself for the struggle and battles of life But dreams should be realistic, achievable and well-grounded

Question. Mukesh and other bangle makers are unable to break out of the vicious circle of poverty due to the collision of government agencies, Sahukars, middlemen and the police. What are the values that are lacking in these people? Write an article discussing these values.
Answer:
• Poverty is the greatest disgrace and the worst stigma on the face of a civilised world.
• The poor need our sympathy and empathy to break open the barriers around them
• The poor also should have a desire to live a life of dignity, inculcate a progressive approach to make use of free educational facilities provided by the government.
• Unless the poor have the inclination to improve no social welfare agencies can be of any help.
The deprived should break out of the web of ancestral professions and boycott all kind of manipulation done by the middlemen.

Important Questions NCERT Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 Lost Spring  

Question. In what sense is garbage gold to the ragpickers?
Answer. Garbage is like gold to the ragpickers in the sense that it is a means of sustenance for them. Garbage gives them their daily bread and provides a roof over their heads. 

Question. Who is Mukesh ? What is his dream ?
Answer. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker in Firozabad. Although Mukesh helps his father to make bangles, he dreams of becoming a car mechanic for which he is willing to walk the long distance from his home to the garage where he wishes to train. 

Question. Describe the irony in Saheb’s name.
Answer. The full name of Saheb is Saheb-e-Alam, which means Lord of the Universe. He does not know the meaning of his name. The irony here is that Saheb in reality is a ragpicker and a refugee from Bangladesh. He is not the ‘Lord of the Universe’. 

Question. What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
Answer. The writer says that garbage is gold for the ragpickers because for children, garbage is wrapped in wonder. They expect to get some coins, notes or valuables in it. If fate permits, sometimes, they find a rupee or even a ten-rupee note. For adults, garbage is a means of livelihood. 

Question. Describe Mukesh as an ambitious person.
Answer. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker in Firozabad. Although Mukesh helps his father to make bangles, he dreams of becoming a car mechanic for which he is willing to walk the long distance from his home to the garage where he wishes to train. 

Question. Describe the difficulties the bangle makers of Firozabad have to face in their lives.
Answer. Difficulties faced by the bangle makers of Firozabad are many. They live in a state of perpetual poverty, in ready-to-crumble houses, crowded with a number of families. Besides remaining uneducated for the rest of their lives, they have to work extremely hard for long hours in the glass furnaces in high temperature. Since they work in the dark and dingy cells, many lose their eyesight at a young age. Their difficulties are not limited to just health problems. They are set at a much deeper level. The bangle makers are burdened by the stigma of the caste in which they are born. An adult bangle maker knows nothing except how to make bangles. So, that is all that he can teach his young ones and this continues for generations. The bangle makers cannot escape the vicious circle of exploitation by middlemen, money lenders, police and bureaucrats. They cannot even organise themselves into a cooperative due to the fear that it might be treated as being illegal. This is why there are no leaders who would raise their problems. The bangle makers continue to face apathy and injustice all their lives. 

Question. “It is his Karam, his destiny” that made Mukesh’s grandfather go blind. How did Mukesh disprove this belief by choosing a new vocation and making his own destiny ?
Answer. Mukesh had seen his parents and other bangle makers of Firozabad suffer all their life. He had witnessed them being unable to escape the vicious circle of poverty and exploitation. While others believed that it was their destiny to be born poor and poverty stricken, Mukesh wanted to disprove this belief by choosing a new line of work. Unlike other children of his age in the town of Firozabad, he had the courage to break free from the family vocation of bangle-making. He wanted to be a motor mechanic and make his own destiny. He was determined to achieve his goal and was prepared to work hard for it. Although the garage, where Mukesh wanted to train to be a motor mechanic, was quite far from his house, he was willing to walk the long distance for the sake of his dreams. 

Question. ‘Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands ofpeople to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
Answer. In ‘Lost Spring’ Anees Jung analyses the grinding poverty and traditions, which condemn thousands of people to a life of abject misery and the slum children to exploitation. The basis of her analysis are the ragpickers of Seemapuri where she meets a little boy named Saheb and Mukesh, whose family is one of the families who have been the bangle makers of Firozabad for generations. Both these children want education so that they can either escape their situation or change it. But, Saheb and Mukesh and others like them are caught in the vicious circle of poverty, apathy and injustice and are affected by the greed of others. This is why, education and healthy and clean living conditions are a distant dream for them. Every day, they have to face various hardships. Yet, they cannot organise themselves into cooperative due to the fear that it might be treated as being illegal. Ultimately, slum children like Saheb and Mukesh have to carry forward the family occupation or find odd jobs to earn a living. In the process, their childhood is the lost spring of their life. 

Question. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad? 
Answer. Mukesh is different from other bangle makers of Firozabad because he dares to dream. He refuses to carry on the family tradition of bangle making. Instead, he insists on being his own master. He wants to become a motor mechanic and is focussed and determined to achieve it. 

Question. What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?
Answer.Saheb took up a job at a tea-stall, which paid him 800 rupees and all his meals. No, he was not happy with the job because his ‘carefree’ days were over, he now had a master to work under; he was no longer his own master.

Question. In what sense is garbage gold to the ragpickers? 
Answer.Garbage is like gold to the ragpickers in the sense that it is a means of sustenance for them.Garbage gives them their daily bread and provides a roof over their heads. 

Question. Why did Saheb’s parents leave Dhaka and migrate to India? 
Answer.Saheb’s parents left Dhaka because repeated floods swept away their fields and homes leaving them on the verge of starvation. This led to their migration to India, where they hoped to find better living conditions and livelihood opportunities. 

Question. What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil his dream? Why not? Why?
Answer.Mukesh’s aim in life is to become a motor mechanic. Yes, it is indeed possible for Mukesh to achieve his dreams through hard work and determination. He is willing to walk all the way to the garage and learn even though the garage is quite far from his house. 

Question. Whom does Anees Jung blame for the sorry plight of the bangle makers?
Answer.For the sorry plight of the bangle makers, Anees Jung blames the sahukars, policemen, middlemen, bureaucrats, politicians and, to quite an extent, the lineage of the bangle makers and the stigmas with their caste. 

Question. How the steel canister was burden for him?
Answer.The steel canister was a burden for Saheb both literally and metaphorically because unlike the plastic bag he carried around on his shoulder as a ragpicker, the steel canister was much heavier. Moreover, before he started working at the teastall, Saheb was ‘his own master.’ He was free to go anywhere. He had now lost his freedom; he now had a master to work under. Although the job paid him rupees 800 per month, Saheb did not aseem much enthusiastic about it. Along with his independence, he had also lost his opportunity for an education. 

Question. Who is Mukesh ? What is his dream ?
Answer.Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker in Firozabad. Although Mukesh helps his father to make bangles, he dreams of becoming a car mechanic for which he is willing to walk the long distance from his home to the garage where he wishes to train. 

Question. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Why/Why not?
Answer.No, Saheb is not happy working at the teastall. Although he is paid 800 rupees and is given all his meals, it bothers him that he is no longer his own master. His face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he used to carry so lightly over his shoulder. The bag was his, the canister belongs to the man who owns the tea-shop. 

Question. Why could the bangle-makers not organise themselves into a co-operative?
Answer.The bangle makers cannot escape the vicious circle of exploitation by middlemen, money lenders, police and bureaucrats. They fear that organising themselves into cooperative might be treated as being illegal. They are scared of being hauled up and beaten by the police. In addition to the miseries, they also have to face many caste related stigmas. The bangle makers cannot escape their lineage. Years of exploitation has left them timid. This is why there are no leaders who would raise their problems. 

Question. What does the writer mean when she says, ‘Saheb is no longer his own master’?
Answer.The writer meant that when Saheb was a ragpicker he was a carefree boy, who would work and still have time for himself. But from the time he started working at the tea stall, he lost his freedom as he had to work under a master and follow his instructions. He was no longer free to do as he pleased. Thus, he was no longer his own 

Question. What does the title ‘Lost Spring’ convey? author say so about the ragpickers?
Answer.The title ‘Lost Spring’ conveys that the grinding poverty and the traditions which condemn poor children to a life of exploitation, cause them to lose their childhood, which is really the spring time of their life. The slum children have to start earning their living and taking care of their family at a very young age. As a result, they do not get to enjoy a normal childhood. 

Question. Garbage to them is gold. Why does the author say so about the ragpickers?
Answer.The writer says that garbage is gold for the ragpickers because for children, garbage is wrapped in wonder. They expect to get some coins, notes or valuables in it. If fate permits, sometimes, they find a rupee or even a ten-rupee note. For adults, garbage is a means of livelihood. 

Question. Describe the irony in Saheb’s name.
Answer.The full name of Saheb is Saheb-e-Alam, which means Lord of the Universe. He does not know the meaning of his name. The irony here is that Saheb in reality is a ragpicker and a refugee from Bangladesh. He is not the ‘Lord of the Universe’. 

Question.. What does the reference to chappals in ‘Lost Spring’ tell us about the economic condition of the ragpickers ? 
Answer.The narrator, Anees Jung feels that the ragpickers not wearing chappals is a subtle reference to their economic condition, which is a perpetual state of poverty. They live in unhygienic conditions, and due to their hand-to-mouth existence, the children are forced into labour early in life. As a result, they are denied the opportunity of studying and escaping such a life. 

Question. What is Mukesh’s attitude towards the family business of making bangles?
Answer. Mukesh’s attitude towards the family business of making bangles is that of reluctance. He wants to break free from the family tradition and dares to rebel. Mukesh dreams of becoming a motor mechanic for which he is willing to walk the long distance from his home to the garage every day. 

Question. “It is his Karam, his destiny,” What is Mukesh’s family’s attitude towards their situation?
Answer.Mukesh’s family’s attitude towards their situation is that of mute acceptance. They view bangle making as their destiny. They do not dream of any other option because there is no will, to take the initiative, left in them. 

Question. Most of us do not raise our voice against injustice in our society and tend to remain mute spectators. Anees Jung in her article, “Lost spring” vividly highlights the miserable life of street children and bangle makers of Firozabad. She wants us to act. Which qualities does she want the children to develop? 
Answer. Anees Jung, in ‘Lost Spring’ vividly highlights the miserable life of street children and bangle makers of Firozabad. Through children, like Saheb, Savita and Mukesh, she delves deep into the poverty and tradition, which forces a life of exploitation on these three and many others like them.
It is sad that they are caught in the vicious circle of poverty and exploitation generations after generations. It is not easy to escape it because there is the stigma of caste in which they are born. Moreover, the sahukars, the middlemen, policemen, keepers of law, bureaucrats, etc. make their lives more difficult for them than it already is.
Anees Jung wants us to act, raise our voice against the injustice prevailing in our society. The underprivileged often find themselves helpless and at the mercy of their exploiters. Thus, Anees Jung wants the children to develop compassion for the oppressed and the will and courage to work for social and economic changes in the society.

Question. Garbage to them is gold. How do ragpickers of Seemapuri survive? 
Answer.The Ragpickers of Seemapuri emigrated to Delhi from Bangladesh, in 1971 in the hopes of a bright and promising future. However, their situation in the city is not as comfortable as they expected. The ragpickers of Seemapuri live in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. It lacks proper sewage and drainage system and running water. All these years, they have lived without an identity and they are still living like that. In spite of no proper identity and permits, they are surviving. They all have ration cards, which puts them on voters’ list. This enables them to buy grain. Survival is all that matters to them. This is why they pitch their tents wherever there is food. Garbage and ragpicking are means of survival for the people in Seemapuri, it earns them their daily bread and puts a roof over their head. Sometimes, while scrounging, the garbage, finding money, whether one rupee or ten, it the highlight of their day, especially for the children; it gives them hope. Therefore, the writer is right when she says, “garbage to them is gold.” 

Question. Describe the difficulties the bangle makers of Firozabad have to face in their lives.
Answer.Difficulties faced by the bangle makers of Firozabad are many. They live in a state of perpetual poverty, in ready-to-crumble houses, crowded with a number of families. Besides remaining uneducated for the rest of their lives, they have to work extremely hard for long hours in the glass furnaces in high temperature. Since they work in the dark and dingy cells, many lose their eyesight at a young age. Their difficulties are not limited to just health problems. They are set at a much deeper level. The bangle makers are burdened by the stigma of the caste in which they are born. An adult bangle maker knows nothing except how to make bangles. So, that is all that he can teach his young ones and this continues for generations. The bangle makers cannot escape the vicious circle of exploitation by middlemen, money lenders, police and bureaucrats. They cannot even organise themselves into a cooperative due to the fear that it might be treated as being illegal. This is why there are no leaders who would raise their problems. The bangle makers continue to face apathy and injustice all their lives. 

Question. How is Mukesh’s attitude towards his situation different from that of Saheb? Why?
Answer.Mukesh’s attitude towards his situation is different from that of Saheb because unlike Saheb, Mukesh is ambitious. Mukesh has his roots in Firozabad. He is born in a family of bangle makers and must follow his father’s footsteps for now. However, he wants to break the family tradition and become a motor mechanic. Saheb, on the other hand, is a rootless migrant from Bangladesh who is content being a ragpicker at Seemapuri. Although, he fancies the idea of going to school, he starts working at a tea stall because the salary is good. Mukesh too is greatly unhappy about his prevailing poverty. However, he is determined to change it. He is ready to walk a long distance every day to a garage and train to become a motor mechanic. 

Question. “It is his Karam, his destiny” that made Mukesh’s grandfather go blind. How did Mukesh disprove this belief by choosing a new vocation and making his own destiny ?
Answer.Mukesh had seen his parents and other bangle makers of Firozabad suffer all their life. He had witnessed them being unable to escape the vicious circle of poverty and exploitation. While others believed that it was their destiny to be born poor and poverty stricken, Mukesh wanted to disprove this belief by choosing a new line of work. Unlike other children of his age in the town of Firozabad, he had the courage to break free from the family vocation of bangle-making. He wanted to be a motor mechanic and make his own destiny. He was determined to achieve his goal and was prepared to work hard for it. Although the garage, where Mukesh wanted to train to be a motor mechanic, was quite far from his house, he was willing to walk the long distance for the sake of his dreams. 

Question. Give a brief account of the life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in Seemapuri. 
Answer.In ‘Lost Spring’ Anees Jung observes that the life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam depends wholly on garbage. For them it is no less than gold, in fact, it is their daily bread. The poor ragpickers are often barefoot, which she thinks is “an excuse to explain a perpetual state of poverty”. Although, Saheb-e-Alam wants an education, he and other ragpickers are unschooled. (Later, Saheb too takes up a job at a tea stall.) They are migrants (squatters) from Bangladesh, who came to Delhi in 1973. Presently, they live in structures of mud with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. They pitch their tents wherever they find food. They have lived in Seemapuri for more than thirty years without identity and without permits. However, they carry their ration cards. No matter how much hardship they face, the ragpickers of Seemapuri have no intention of going back to their own country. 

Question. ‘Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
Answer.In ‘Lost Spring’ Anees Jung analyses the grinding poverty and traditions, which condemn thousands of people to a life of abject misery and the slum children to exploitation. The basis of her analysis are the ragpickers of Seemapuri where she meets a little boy named Saheb and Mukesh, whose family is one of the families who have been the bangle makers of Firozabad for generations. Both these children want education so that they can either escape their situation or change it. But, Saheb and Mukesh and others like them are caught in the vicious circle of poverty, apathy and injustice and are affected by the greed of others. This is why, education and healthy and clean living conditions are a distant dream for them. Every day, they have to face various hardships. Yet, they cannot organise themselves into cooperative due to the fear that it might be treated as being illegal. Ultimately, slum children like Saheb and Mukesh have to carry forward the family occupation or find odd jobs to earn a living. In the process, their childhood is the lost spring of their life.

Question. What does the name of 'Saheb-e-alam mean? Bring out the irony
Answer: Saheb means- 'The Lord of Universe' The irony is that he doesn't even have a roof over his head but his name means, the lord of universe.

Question. Why does Mukesh want to become a motor-mechanic?
Answer: to become self-reliant, to improve his lot, doesn't like bangle-making.

Question. Does Savita understand the importance of bangles?
Answer: Too young to understand the signifrcance of the bangles.

Question. What keeps bangle-makers in the trap?
Answer: Irrational adherence to tradition, perpetual poverty, Vicious circle of Sahukar , Policemen , Middlemen , Politicians,etc.

Question. Mention the hazards of working in bangle industry?
Answer: Unhygienic conditions, loss of eye-sight, high temperature etc.

Question. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer: A curse, affects child's proper growth cause of social backwardness through awareness, implementation of strong legislations.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question. What does Saheb do for living? Why?
Answer: Saheb is a rag picker. His family has left the life of poverty behind in Dhaka in to pursue their dream of finding a better life. The children like him have no access to Education and are forced into rag picking

Question. 'Saheb is no longer his own master􂀝, says the writer. What does she mean?
Answer: The writer means that having accepted the job with the tea-stall, Saheb has lost the independence that he enjoyed as a rag picker, even though he was poor. Although he will now be able to supplement the family income, it will be at the cost of his freedom, which is difficult, binding and unfair for someone so young.

Question. Why did people migrate from the village in Dhaka to Delhi ?
Answer: Better education, job opportunities and living conditions.

Question. What trade does the family of Mukesh follow? Why does the writer feel that it will be difficult for Mukesh to break away from this tradition?
Answer: Engaged in bangle making-difficult to break away from this trade. He belongs to the caste of bangle makers His family is caught in the web of sohukars, the middlemen, policemen, politicians and bureaucrats, from which there is no escape.

Question. 'Lost Spring', is a sad commentary on the political system of our country that condemns thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Comment.
Answer: Saheb, optimistic and enthusiastic-prospect of finding gold in garbage-likes going to school but no opportunity-freedom and joy of childhood to burdens of job at tea-stall.
Mukesh, born at Firozabad (bangle maker)-works under inhuman condition-dark room, hot furnaces-caught in web of poverty-vicious circle of sahukars, policemen, politicians,
bureaucrats and moneylenders-resigned to fate-unaware of child labour act-stifled initiation and hope-lose eyesight before becoming adults.

More Important Questions For CBSE Class 12 English Lost Spring Assignment........