LOST SPRING BY ANEES JUNG (HS SECOND YEAR)

 

Q. From where has the chapter ' Lost Spring' been taken ?

Ans : The chapter 'The lost spring' has been taken from ' Lost Spring : Stories of Stolen Childhood'.

 

Q. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?

Ans : To say it metaphorically, Saheb is looking for 'gold' in the garbage dumps. Actually, he is looking for coins, notes and other useful objects in the garbage dumps.

      Saheb and his family have migrated to Seemapuri, a slum area on the outskirts of Delhi. He has come from Dhaka, Bangladesh along with his family.

 

Q. What explanation does the author offer for the children not wearing footwears?

Ans : The author explains that though the boys not wearing chappals say that they have a tradition to stay barefoot but the author thinks that calling it a tradition they try to hide their perpetual state of poverty.

 

Q. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall?

Ans : No, Saheb was not happy working at the tea stall. Earlier he was his own master but now he has to work under the owner of the tea stall. He works at the tea stall as there he earns eight hundred rupees and is given all his meals. But now he has lost his carefree look. The plastic bags he used to carry seemed lighter than the steel canister.

 

Q. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Ans : The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. It is the centre of India's glass blowing industry.

 

Q. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans : For making bangles people in Firozabad have to work in high temperature around furnaces. They have to work in dingy cells without proper ventilation. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than the light outside. Though child labour is illegal, yet about 20,000 children work in such dark places all day long. Before becoming adults they end up losing their eyesight. For generations people of Firozabad have worked in those glass blowing industries.

 

Q. How is Mukesh's attitude to his situation different from that of his family?

Ans : No one in Mukesh's family dares to dream. But Mukesh dares to dream. He wants to be a motor mechanic breaking the 'god-given lineage' of bangle maker. That's why, Mukesh's attitude to his situation is different from his family.

 

Q. What does Mukesh want to be?

Ans : Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic.

 

Q. What is 'Lost Spring' about ?

Ans : ' Lost Spring' is about the stories of lost childhood. It is all about  grinding poverty and traditions which condemn the children to a life of exploitation.

 

Q. What does the author of 'The lost spring' find Saheb do every morning?

Ans : The author of 'The lost spring' finds Saheb busy scrounging for gold every morning.

 

Q. What does garbage mean for the elders and children of Seemapuri?

Ans : In the chapter garbage is termed as gold metaphorically. Garbage helps the elders of Seemapuri earn their daily bread and butter. Garbage has different meanings for elders and children. For a child, garbage may mean something wrapped in wonder, whereas for the elders it is a means of survival.

 

Q. Where does Mukesh live?

Ans : Mukesh lives in Firozabad.

 

Q. Where does Saheb live?

Ans : Saheb lives in Seemapuri.

 

Q. Why had Saheb and his family migrated to Seemapuri?

 Or

What had Sahab been told by his mother ?

Ans : Saheb's mother had once told him that they had to leave their hometown and migrate to Seemapuri since many storms swept their fields and homes away. So they migrated in search of livelihood.

 

Q. What is the significance of bangles in an Indian society?

Ans : Bangles play an important role in an Indian society. Bangles are symbolic of Indian women's suhag. Bangles are related to the auspiciousness of marriage.

 

Q. What is the irony inherent in Saheb's full name?

Ans : The irony in Saheb's name is that his full name is Saheb-E-Alam, which means the Lord of the Universe. But the meaning of his name and his profession of ragpicking contradict each other. Every morning he scrounges for 'gold' in garbage and thus he earns his daily bread and butter.

Q. Why do the young inhabitants of Firozabad end up losing their eyesight?

Ans : The eyes of the young inhabitants of Firozabad are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside since they have to work in high temperature, in dingy cells without light and air for hours. They often end up losing eyesight before they become adults. Even the dust from polishing the glass of bangles is injurious to eyes.

 

Q. What are the different worlds in Firozabad?

Ans : In the chapter "Lost Spring" the author talks about two different worlds in Firozabad. One world consists of the poverty stricken families of the bangle makers who are burdened by the stigma of caste. And the other world is formed by the powerfuls -- the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians.

 

Q. What was the promise made by Anne Jung to Saheb?

Ans : The author Anees Jung promised Saheb that she would start a school for him. But it was a hollow promise. When Saheb questioned her about the school she said that it took a long time to construct a school.

 

Q. Who is Saheb?

Ans : Saheb is a rag picker from Seemapuri.

 

Q. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle making industry of Firozabad in poverty?

                                 Or

 Describe the miserable plight of people of Firozabad.

Ans : Firozabad is famous for its bangle making industry. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. They consider bangle making as a God given lineage. Not only the elders, the children also work in furnaces with high temperature in dingy cells without proper ventilation. These factories are in the stinking lanes filled with garbage. They are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside since they have to work in high temperature, in dingy cells without light and air for hours. They often end up losing eyesight before they become adults. Years of mind- numbing toil has destroyed their ability to dream.

          They have refused to move with time. The older generation has fallen in the web of the vicious circle of the powerfuls -- the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians.if they think of organizing themselves into a co-operative then they are beaten or dragged to jail. These forces compel them to live a troublesome life.

 

Q. How does the vicious circle of middlemen never allow them to come out of poverty?

Ans : The family of bangle makers were caught in the vicious web of poverty. They were forced to practise their ancestral profession as their God given lineage.  Even if they tried to organize themselves into a co-operative then they were beaten or dragged to jail by the middlemen. The middlemen had put such a heavy baggage on the shoulders of the bangle makers that they could not put that down. Before being aware the younger generation accepted the burden as naturally as their fathers.

 

Q. What did Saheb observe standing at the fenced gate of the neighbouring club?

Ans : Standing at the fenced gate of the neighbouring club Saheb observed two men, dressed in white, playing tennis.

 

Q. Name the place in Delhi where the squatters live ?

Ans : Seemapuri is the place in Delhi where the squatters live.

 

Q. When did the squatters come from Bangladesh?

Ans : The squatters came from Bangladesh in 1971 in search of shelter and job.

Q. Whom did Saheb observe standing at the fenced gate of the neighbouring club?

Ans : Standing at the fenced gate of the neighbouring club Saheb observed two young men in white dress who were playing tennis.

 

Q. Name the place of Delhi where squatters live.

Ans : Seemapuri is the place of Delhi where squatters live.

 

Q. When did the squatters come from Bangladesh?

Ans : Squatters came from Bangladesh in 1971.

 

Q. What was Saheb wearing when he was standing at the fenced gate of the neighbouring club?

Ans : Saheb was wearing a discoloured shirt and sorts. He was wearing a pair of tennis shoes which was discarded by some rich boy.

 

Q. Who is Mukesh?

Ans : Mukesh is a young boy from Firozabad who wants to be/ aspires to be a motor mechanic.

 

Q. Who is in charge of Mukesh's household?

Ans : The wife of Mukesh's elder brother, that means the 'bahu' of the family was in charge of Mukesh's household.

 

Q. Would you agree that promises made to poor boys are rarely kept?

Ans : I would agree that promises made to poor boys are rarely kept. Here in the story 'Lost Spring' the writer asks Saheb why he doesn't join a school. Then he replies that if someone builds up a school in his locality he definitely will go to school. Then the writer makes a hollow promise that she will start a school for him. But the promise of the writer is not meant to be kept.

 

Q. What is the means of survival in Seemapuri?

Ans : Ragpicking is the means of survival in Seemapuri.

 

Q. Whom does the author encounter everyday in the street?

Ans : The author encounters Saheb and his friends,an 'army' of barefoot boys everyday in the street.

 

Q. Where is Seemapuri?

Ans : Seemapuri is at the periphery of Delhi.

 

Q. How did Saheb earn his living?

Ans : Saheb earned his living by rag picking. But later he earned his living working at a tea stall.

 

Q. Did Saheb have any interest in studies?

Ans : Saheb was very much interested in studies. But there was no school in his locality. When the writer had promised him to open a school, he was very happy. Few days later on seeing the writer he went running to her and curiously asked her if the school was ready.

 

Q. What did the writer say about the school to Saheb?

Ans : The writer told Saheb that it takes much longer time to build up a school.

 

Q. How did Saheb get the shoes he was wearing?

Ans : Saheb managed to get a pair of discarded shoes of some rich boy. That rich boy perhaps discarded the shoe because of a hole in one of them. But that fact didn't bother Saheb.

 

Q. What does the writer think about the children walking barefoot?

Ans : The writer comes across many barefoot rag-picker children. When the writer asks one why doesn't he wear chappals then he answers that his mother never brings them down from the shelf. The writer thinks that walking barefoot is a tradition for them. She also wonders if that was an excuse to explain a perpetual state of poverty.

 

Q. Why was Seemapuri described as a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it?

Ans : Delhi is a city and the capital of our country. The people of Delhi enjoy all the facilities, comforts and privileges of life. However, Seemapuri, though it was on the periphery of Delhi, yet the residents did not have even basic facilities like drainage, sewage systems and running water. Thus it seemed miles away from Delhi.

 

Q. What did a man from Udipi pray for at the temple as a young boy?

Ans : The man from Udipi was a priest's son. As a young boy he used to pray for a pair of shoes. When he finally got a pair of shoes he prayed God not to let him lose it. Many years later, when the writer visited the same temple, she met the son of the new priest who was wearing grey socks and shoes.

 

Q. How is the condition of living of the dwellers in Seemapuri?

Ans : The dwellers of Seemapuri were mostly the squatters who had come from Bangladesh back in 1971. They were mostly rag-pickers. Seemapuri, though it was on the periphery of Delhi, yet the residents did not have even basic facilities like drainage, sewage systems and running water. Thus it seemed miles away from Delhi. People lived in structures of mud, devoid of drainage. They lived without an identity. But they have got ration cards which enable them to buy grains and be voters. Food was more important for them than having an identity.

 

Q. What did a group of women answer when the writer asked them the reason for leaving their ancestral land?

Ans : Food was more important for the dwellers of Seemapuri than having an identity. When the writer asked a group of women the reason behind leaving their ancestral land, then they replied that if they could feed their families and go to bed without an aching stomach they would prefer to live in Seemapuri than in the fields that gave them no grains.

 

Q. Why should child labour be eliminated?

Ans : Child labour should be eliminated because childhood is the best period for them to read and shape themselves for future, so that in days to come they can be good citizens of the nation. Moreover, during this period they are not physically fit enough to do physical labour.