Lost Spring

Lost Spring

Q. Who was Saheb? What was his full name? What was the irony about his name?
Ans. Saheb was a poor ragpicker. His full name was Saheb-e-Alam. It means lord of the universe. But the poor boy did not have even shoes to wear. Thus there was deep irony in his name.

Q. What had Saheb's mother told him about their coming to the big city?
Or To which country did Saheb’s parents originally belong? Why did they come to India?
Or Why did Saheb’s parents leave Dhaka and migrate to India?
Or Why had the rag pickers come to live in Seemapuri?
Ans. Saheb’s parents belonged to Dhaka in Bangladesh. His mother had told him that their home used to be in the green fields of Dhaka. There were many storms and their homes and fields were swept away in the storms. So they and the other ragpickers left their homes many years ago and migrated to India in search of a livelihood.

Q. What promise has the writer made with Saheb? What is it that embarrassed her?
Or What makes the authoress embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant?
Ans. Saheb did not go to school. When the authress asked him why he did not go to school, he said that there was no school in his neighbourhood. He said that he would go if the authorities make one. The author asked him If she started a school, will he come? Saheb said, "Yes." After a few days, Saheb asked her if her school was ready. At this time the writer felt embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant.

Q. How did the writer come to recognise each of the ragpickers in her neighbourhood?
Ans. The writer encountered Saheb every morning when he was scrounging the garbage dumps in the author’s neighbourhood with other ragpickers. They were Saheb’s friends. They came every morning and disappeared at noon. First the writer formed an acquaintance with Saheb. Gradually she came to recognise each of them.

Q. Why do these children remain barefoot?
Ans. Throughout the country, the authoress has seen the rag-pickers roaming about in the streets barefoot. When she asks them about their not wearing chappals some reply that it is a tradition to stay barefoot. It is not the lack of money. The authoress feels that it is an excuse to "explain away a perpetual state of poverty."

Q. What different excuses do the ragpickers children offer for not wearing chappals ?
Ans. The writer comes across many barefoot rag-picker children. When she asks them why they do not wear chappals, they offer very solid excuses. One answers that his mother has not brought them down from the shelf. Another points out that he will throw them if she brings. The third one replies that he has never owned a pair all his life. The writer concludes that walking across the country barefoot is a tradition. Q. Give a brief write-up about a man from Udipi.
What stories did a man from Udipi once tell the author, Anees Jung?
Ans. Once the writer meets a man from Udipi. About the shoes, he tells that as a young boy, he would daily go to school past an old temple. In his way he would stay there for sometime to pray to the goddess for a pair of shoes. His father was a priest at the temple. Finally, he got a pair of shoes and became contented.

Q. What type of contrast does the writer point out between Saheb and the son of the priest?
Ans. The writer remembers the story man from Udipi when he was a child. It was told that while going to school he would pray the Goddess for a pair of shoes. But the boys like the son of the priest now wear shoes. The rag-pickers at her neighbourhood like Saheb remains barefoot. This exhibits the different phrases of society.

Q. Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it. Why ?
Or How does the author describe the area of Seemapuri?
Ans. Seemapuri is a slum area on the periphery of Delhi. In 1971, more than 10,000 rag-pickers came from Bangladesh and started living here as squatters. They live in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. They don’t have the facilities of sewage, drainage and running water. But they have got ration cards for votes and buying grains. They have no identity. Women move in tattered saris. Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking.

Q.. Explain "Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking."
Or How do their children become partners in their survival? (M. Imp.)
Ans. Seemapuri is a place in the outskirts of Delhi. The people living here are rag-pickers. They scrounge gold in the garbage dumps. For the children garbage is wrapped in wonder and for the elders, it is a means of survival. A group of young women say that they pitch their tents, where they find food. They become their transit homes. There the children grow and participate in the process of survival.

Q. How is the garbage heap wrapped in wonder for the children?
Or Garbage to them is gold. Why does the author say to about the rag-pickers?
Ans. Garbage is gold to the rag-pickers of Seemapuri because it provides them some items By selling these item they cn get some cash. With this cash they can buy food. Thus the author says that garbage is no less and is a means of survival. Moreover, it is gold also because the rag-pickers can find stray coins and currency notes in it.

Q. Specify how rag-picking has acquired the "proposition of a fine art" in Seemapuri?
Ans. The people living in Seemapuri are rag-pickers. All of them are engaged in rag-picking. The children, women and elders can be seen searching through the garbage. All work for their survival. Life in Seemapuri means rag- picking. In reality rag picking in Seemapuri has become professionals. It is no more a dirty job. Thus it has acquired the ‘proportion of a fine art’.

Q. What is the present state of Seemapuri?
Ans. The rag-pickers of Seemapuri are the illegal occupants of public land. They have been living here for more than 30 years without an identity or without a permit. They have ration cards to buy grains and cast their votes. They live in mud structures without sewage, drainage and running water. As the end of the day they go to their beds without an aching stomach.

Q. How did Saheb get a pair of shoes?
Ans. Saheb got a pair of shoes from some rich boy. The rich boy had discarded them because there was a hole in one of them. But Saheb felt no harm in wearing them. It was rather good on his part that the dream of wearing shoes had come true.

Q. Explain "Saheb is no longer his own master"
Or Why has Saheb lost his carefree look after getting a job in a tea stall ?
Ans. Saheb has got a job at some tea stall. There the owner gives him 800 rupees and all his meals. The narrator sees him with a tin canister on his way to the milk booth. But he has lost his carefree look. The canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so nightly on his shoulder. This was his own bag but the canister belonged to his master. Thus Saheb was no longer his own master.

Q. What does garbage mean for the elders and the children in Seemapuri?
Ans. Garbage to the elders is gold. It is their daily bread. It means a roof over their heads. But for children, it is even more. For them, it is a thing wrapped in wonder. For the elders, it is a means of survival.

Q. What is the present state of Seemapuri?
Ans. The rag-pickers of Seemapuri are living here illegally on the public land. They have been living here for more than 30 years without an identity or without a permit. They have ration cards to buy grains and cast their votes. They live in mud structures without sewage, drainage and running water. At the end of the day they go to their beds without an aching stomach.

Q How did Saheb get a pair of shoes?
Or Q. What was Saheb wearing one winter morning ? Where did he get it?
Ans. One winter morning the writer saw Saheb standing by the fenced gate of the neighbourhood club. He was watching two young men playing tennis. Saheb was wearing tennis shoes. On enquiry, Saheb said that some rich boy discarded them because there was a hole in one of them. But for Saheb who walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole were a dream come true.

Q. Explain “Saheb is no longer his own master”.
Or Why has Saheb lost his carefree look after getting a job in a tea stall?
Ans. Saheb has got a job at some tea stall. There he is given 800 rupees and all his meals. The narrator sees him with a tin canister on his way to the milk booth. But he has lost his carefree look. The canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly on his shoulder. The bag was his, but the canister belonged to his master. Thus Saheb was no longer his own master.

Q. What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy? (All India 2014 Modified)
Answer. Saheb took up work at a tea stall, where he had to perform several odd jobs, including getting milk from the milk booth. He was not happy, as he had lost his independence. Though he earned ? 800, and got all his meals free, he was no longer his own master.

Q. Who is Mukesh and what is his dream ?
Ans. Mukesh belongs to the family of bangle makers in Firozabad where each family is engaged in bangle making. He does not like the life of a bangle maker. He wants to be his own master. His dream is to become a motor mechanic.

Q. Why does the authoress think that Mukesh's dream seems to be looming like a mirage?
Ans. The family of Mukesh is engaged in making glass bangles of different kinds like the colours of a rainbow. But Mukesh does not want to adopt his family profession. He wants to be a motor mechanic and will learn to drive a car. His dream seems like a mirage to the writer as it is vague and unclear amidst the dust of Firozabad streets.

Q. How do the children become the victims of losing the brightness of their eyes?
Or Describe the working conditions of bangle workers in Firozabad.
Or What is the condition of the children working in the glass furnaces of Firozabad?
Ans. More than 20,000 children are illegally working in glass-blowing factories in Firozabad. They work around furnaces in high temperatures to weld glasses. They work in dingy cells without light and air. Their eyes are adjusted to "the dark than to the light outside. Many of them become victims of losing their eye-sight before they become adults. They have to work all day.

Q. What does the writer say about boys and girls working in dark hutments?
Ans. These boys and girls work with their fathers and mothers. They have flickering oil lamps in front of them. They weld pieces of glass into bangles. Their eyes get more used to the dark than to the light outside. Many of them lose their eyesight before they become adults.

Q. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Ans. Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India's glass blowing industry. It makes bangles for all the women of the land. The bangles symbolise an Indian woman's 'Suhag'.

Q. Mention any two hazards of working in the glass bangle industry?
Or What are the hazards in the glass bangles industry?
Ans. Working of children in the glass bangle industry is against the rules of health and hygiene. They have to work before the furnaces amidst high temperature. They have the chances of skin burn and losing their brightness of the eyes. Sitting in close proximity to furnace and staying in dingy and dark cells trouble all.

Q. What type of environment does the writer come across while walking with Mukesh?
Or Describe the living conditions of the bangle makers in Firozabad.
Ans. While walking with Mukesh, the writer passes through the stinking lanes duly choked with garbage. Then she comes across the hovels having crumbling walls and wobbly doors. They have no windows for ventilation. She saw animals and human beings existing together in a primeval state. Thus they live in most unhygienic conditions.

Q. What kind of locality does Mukesh live in?
Ans. Mukesh live in a very dirty locality. The lanes in this locality are stinking. They are choked with garbage. The homes look like hovels. Their walls are crumbling. They have wobbly doors. There are no windows. Men and animals live in them together.

Q. What does the writer witness after entering the house of Mukesh?
Ans. Mukesh brings the writer to his own hut. It is a half built shack. Its one part is thatched with dry grass. Then she sees a firewood stove having a vessel containing spinach leaves for boiling. In a large aluminium platter, chopped vegetables can be seen. A frail young woman cooks food for the whole family.

Q. What custom prevails among the ladies of bangle-makers?
Ans. The daughter-in-law in the house commands respect as the 'bahu.' There is custom of putting veil on their faces when an elder enters in the house. She will go near the wall and brings her veil closer to her face. It is their custom that the daughter in law must veil their faces before the male elders.

0. What has Mukesh's father achieved after years of hard labour?
Ans. The father of Mukesh started his career as a tailor. But soon he turned to be engaged himself in bangle-making. Inspite of doing hard labour, he has very small achievement on his part. He has even failed to renovate his house. He has not been in a position to send his two children to school. He has taught them only bangle-making.

Q. What for does the grandmother of Mukesh lament?
Or What dos Mukesh’s mother say about her husband?
Ans. The grandmother of Mukesh laments that her husband became blind with the dust of polishing bangles. Her son could teach his sons only the bangle making. She says, 'It is his Karam, his destiny. He cannot go beyond the god, given lineage'. Born in the caste of bangle makers, they have learnt nothing except making bangles.

Q. Who is Savita? What is she doing? What does the writer wonder about?
Ans. Savita is a young girl. She is soldering pieces of glass. Her hands are moving mechanically like the tongs of a machine. The writer wonders if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she is making. They symbolise an Indian woman's suhaag , i.e. an auspiciousness in marriage.

Q. How do the activities of the bangle preparation go on in the narrow lanes of Firozabad?
Ans. People prepare spirals of bangles in the seven colours of the rainbow. They lie in mounds in the unkempt yards. After piling them on a four wheeled handcarts, they pass the narrow lanes duly pushed by young men. In the dark hutments, women and people of all age group weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are adjusted to the dark than to the outside work. In this way the work goes on.

Q. What makes the author say 'Little has moved with time in Firozabad'?
Ans. The writer says so on the point that with the changing times, the bangle-making industry is going on as usual. More than 20,000 children work in them illegally before the glass furnaces with high temperature. They live in dingy cells without air and light they hardly get full meal. The exploitation of money-lenders, the middlemen and the police continues unabated.

Q. Why do the bangle-makers of Firozabad not organise into a cooperative ?
Ans. The bangle-makers live in the state of utter poverty. Years of ‘mind-numbing toil' have killed all their dreams, hopes and initiatives. They have fallen into a vicious circle of money-lenders, middlemen, police, politicians and bureaucrats. They never allow them to organise into a cooperative.

Q. Which two distinct worlds of the 1 bangle-makers does the authoress see ?
Or What two distinct worlds do poor children like Saheb and Mukesh have to fall in their childhood.
Ans. The writer finds two distinct worlds in Firozabad. The fist one belongs to the family of bangle-makers. They are caught in the web of poverty with a stigma of caste they are born in. The other is a vicious circle of the 'Sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the politicians and the keepers of the law. They ensure that the exploitation of the bangle makers go unabated. So they never allow them to organise a cooperative.

Q. “The elderly woman has still bangles in her wrists, but no light in her eyes'. Why?
Ans. The elderly woman laments very much over her 'Karam', i.e. destiny. She says that during her life time, she has not had a full meal. Instead of hard toil, they loom in a perpetual state of poverty. Her cheerless eyes are the ready example and recognition of it. The bangles symbolized her 'Suhaag.' The homes of the bangle makers cry for money.

Q. Why don't the younger ones of the bangle-makers do anything else?
Ans. The years of mind numbing and hard toil kill the desire of making new attempts to improve their conditions and the ability to dream. In Firozabad doing any other work needs dare, strong will and determination of the bangle makers want to do anything else, they need dare. The same is very much absent on the part of the younger ones.

Q. What forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans. There are sahukars, middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats and politicians. All these form a vicious circle. Poor bangle makers have been trapped in it for generations. Now they have come to accept it as something natural.

Q. Why does the author say that the bangle makers are caught in a vicious web?
Ans. The author finds that the bangle makers in Firozabad are exploited at the hands of the Sahukars, middlemen, policemen, law makers, bureaucrats and politicians. They work day and night, but are not paid appropriate wages. They cannot form cooperatives for their betterment. Moreover, their children are also compelled to join the same trade at an early age. They, too, cannot dare to take up any other profession.

Q. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realize his dream?
Ans. Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic. He can realize his dream through hard work and firm determination. He will go to a garage and learn. The garage is a long way from his home. But he says that he will walk all that distance to realize his dream.