Lost Spring: Questions & Answers

Prakash E
PGT English
West Godavari
Multiple choice questions:
1. ’Why do you do this?’ This question was asked by the author to
A. The bangle sellers
B. Mahesh
C. Saheb
D. Saheb’s Mother

2. Saheb’s profession was that of a

A. Cook
B. Rag-picker
C. Bangle seller
D. Driver

3. Why did Saheb and his family move to Delhi?

A. because storms had swept away their fields and homes
B. their village was flooded
C. there were landslides
D. there was a deadly epidemic in the village

4. One explanation which the author gets about children choosing to remain barefoot is
A. they have no money
B. tradition
C. no matching pairs
D. like to wear only chappals

5. Garbage to the rag pickers is

A. Money
B. Daily bread, roof over their heads
C. Gold
D. Silver

6. Saheb did not like to work in the tea-stall because

A. he was getting only Z 800
B. he hated the steel canister
C. he was no longer his own master
D. he had to carry heavy bags now
7. Sunny-gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink, purple, every colour born out of the seven
colours of the rainbow. What is this a reference to?
A. Clothes
B. Birds
C. Bangles
D. Bindis

8. The sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of the law, the bureaucrats
and the politicians. Together these people
A. worked for the benefit or bangle makers
B. imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down
C. worked for the upliftment of women
D. abolished child labour

9. What bothers the author most about the bangle makers?

A. the stigma of poverty and caste
B. the affluence of the landlords
C. the behavior of the factory owners
D. the labour laws

10. ‘She has not enjoyed a full meal in her entire lifetime’. Who is ‘she’ in the given
sentence?
A. the elderly woman sitting close to Savita
B. Mukesh’s sister-in-law
C. Mukesh’s mother
D. Mukesh’s grandmother

Very short answer questions:

11. What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
A. Garbage means ‘gold’ to the poor rag pickers because some of it can be sold for
cash, thus becoming a means of survival for the children of Seemapuri and for their
parents. It is providing them their daily bread and a roof over, their heads.

12. Describe the irony in Saheb’s name.

A. The full name of Saheb, the rag picker, is Saheb-e-Alam, which means ‘Lord of the
Universe’. As per his name, he should live like a king. The irony is that he is a
barefoot rag picker who lacks even the basic necessities.
13. In what sense is garbage gold to the rag pickers?
A. Garbage is gold to the rag pickers of Seemapuri because they can sell some of it for
cash. This in turn helps them buy food and sustain themselves. Moreover, it is also
gold for them because the rag pickers at times find stray coins and currency notes in
it.

14. What was Mukesh’s dream?

A. Mukesh belongs to the family of bangle makers. He tells the writer to become a
motor mechanic. He will learn to drive a car and does not hesitate to go to the far
off garage. He has no desire to live and become the victim of poverty.

15. Does the rag picking mean the same thing for parents and children? Give reasons for
your answer.
A. No, rag picking is not the same for parents and children. For children it is wrapped in
wonders where as for parents it is the means of survival.

16. What does the writer mean when he says, ‘Saheb is no longer his own master’?
A. Saheb started working in a tea-stall where he is bound and burdened. He has to
follow the orders of his master and is not free as he was earlier. Hence, the writer
says that “Saheb is no longer his own master.”

17. In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children, they are not
devoid of hope. How far do you agree?
A. I agree that the slum children are not devoid of hope as Saheb, a rag picker, is eager
to go to school and learn and Mukesh, who makes bangles, dreams of becoming a
motor mechanic.

18. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage?

A. In the garage dumps, Saheb looks for useful item which can be sold for cash. As
these items can be traded for money, they are just like gold for him.

19. Where is he and where has he come from?

A. Saheb and his family lie in Seemapuri slum on the periphery of Delhi. His family had
migrated from Bangladesh.

Short answer questions:

20. What does the title ‘Lost Spring’ conveys?
A. The title ‘Lost Spring’ conveys and picturize that childhood is like the spring. As
everything blooms in this season, in the same way the childhood should bloom but
through the poverty of Saheb and Mukesh, we come to know about their stolen
childhood. It is being destroyed and dumped in the web of poverty, dirt and dust.
21. What does Anees Jung want to reveal in her story ‘Lost Spring’?
A. Anees Jung has portrayed two stories in ‘Lost Spring’ and both depict the grinding
poverty, pitiable condition of life and the other traditions that condemn the children
to a life of exploitation. For the rag-pickers of Seemapuri, garbage is gold and means
of survival. The bangle-makers of Firozabad live in dingy cells and stinking lanes.
Even after much toil, they do not get full meal.

22. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?

A. The glass bangle industry has a very hazardous working environment. People work in
the glass furnaces with high temperature in dinghy cells without air and light. Most
end up losing their eyesight even before they become adults. Adding to their misery,
they are caught up in the vicious circle of people who exploit them.

23. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad?
A. Mukesh had the courage to dream big in spite of all adversity, whereas his family
members and the other bangle makers of Firozabad had resigned to their fate, and
had suppressed all their hopes and desires to follow the ‘God-given lineage’ of
bangle making.

24. Why does the author say that the bangle makers are caught in a vicious web?
A. The bangle makers in Firozabad are exploited at the hands of the Sahukars,
middlemen, policemen, law makers, bureaucrats and politicians. They toil day and
night, but are not paid appropriate wages. Their children are also compelled to join
the same trade at an early stage.

25. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he
come from?
A. Saheb is scrounging for anything in the garbage dump that he can sell and make
money. This is the only means of survival. He sometimes manages to find a rupee or
even ten rupees. He now lives with his family in Seemapuri, a slum on the outskirts
of Delhi. His family has migrated from Bangladesh in search of a better life.

26. What makes the authoress embarrassed at having made a promise that was not
meant?
A. On encountering with Saheb, the writer asks him to go to school. Immediately at the
second thought, she realizes that the advice must sound very hollow. On the other
hand, Saheb replies that there is no school in his neighborhood. And he will go if the
authorities make one. The writer asks half-jokingly if she starts a school, “will he
go?” Saheb goes on asking her “Is your school ready?” She feels embarrassed at
having made a promise that was not meant.
27. Why was not Saheb happy on getting a job?
A. Saheb was not happy on getting a job in tea stall for a salary of Rs.800/- per month
as he lost his freedom. He had to carry the stall owner’s steel canister in place of his
bag. He had lost his freedom and carefree look. He was now no longer his own
master.

28. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
A. Most people, who have migrated from villages to cities, have done so because of the
promise of a better life. Some of them have not been able to earn any money from
farming because of the unpredictable vagaries of the weather. They have had no
jobs and no way of earning a livelihood. Cities provide a ray of hope as they are a
means of escaping from abject poverty and offer hope of some employment. These
people feel that though they may have to live in the most abysmal conditions in the
city, they will get at least some food to eat.

29. Why don’t the bangle makers of Firozabad organize themselves?

A. The bangle makers are trapped in the vicious circle of middlemen and police. If they
organize a co-operative, they will be hauled up, beaten and dragged to jail by the
police for doing something illegal. There is no leader to help them out from their
misery. They are the victims of greed and injustice.

30. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
A. Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic and drive a car. He wants to break away
from the generations-old family tradition of bangle making. His family is not as
optimistic as he is, but he is determined and exhibits a spark of courage and hope
and dares to dream, even though it means walking miles to get to the garage.

31. Why does the author say that the bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web?
A. The family of bangle makers was caught in the vicious web of poverty. They are
forced to practice their ancestral profession. They remain ill fed and ill clad
throughout life. They have no money to switch over their profession. Their hard
work is mind-numbling. The police do not allow them to form co-operatives.

Long answer questions:

32. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realize his dream?
A. Mukesh belongs to the family of bangle- makers who prepare colorful bangles like
that of rainbow. But his attitude to this situation is different from others. He is a
daring boy and he announces, “I will be a motor mechanic, I will learn to drive a car.
Though the garage is a long way from his home yet he insists I will go to the garage
and learn.”
 The determination and strong will of becoming a motor mechanic and learning to
drive a car, seems to be as firm as a rock in Mukesh. That is why he says he will walk
to the garage which is a long way from his home. Though his dream appears to be
vague, unclear and like a mirage yet he has a different ambition to fulfil. He can
materialize his dream once he walks.

33. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty?
A. The bangle makers firmly believe that having been born in the caste and community
of bangle makers; they cannot escape their fate and must remain where they are.
They believe that bangle making is the only skill they possess and that they must
pass on the legacy to their children. Bangle making is not a lucrative source of
income but they have no alternative and hence remain entrenched in the same.
They have fallen into the vicious clutches of middlemen who had trapped their
fathers and their forefathers. They are afraid to form cooperatives to safeguard
themselves because they feel that they will be beaten up by the police and jailed for
doing something illegal. Steeped in despair and apathy, they no longer have the will
to aspire and better their lot. Some of the industrialists conspire in unison with the
sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen and the politicians and then go on
exploiting them. They see very little hope of escaping from their impoverished life of
misery and privation.

34. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. / Describe the
difficulties the bangle makers of Firozabad have to face in their lives.
A. The glass blowing industry of Firozabad employs local families and these families
have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass and making bangles
of different colors. Working around the high temperature furnaces is very injurious
to our growing bodies. The dark dingy cells without light and air worsen the working
conditions of the children. The dazzling and sparking of welding light and the high
temperature render the situation hellish. About 20,000 children slog their day light
hours and often lose the brightness of their eyes before they become adults.

The bangle-makers lead their life in utter miseries and grinding poverty. They could
never prosper working in this industry. They hardly get a belly full of meal in their
lifetime. Thus they are not only underfed but also prone to ailments. The dingy cells
and stinking smell of garbage choke their bodies. There are flames of flickering oil
lamps, the blinding polishing and the welding work put a deep impact on their
bodies. Those who work in bangle industries, lose their eyesight before they become
adult.
35. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
A. The child labour employed in any form is an offence. It is banned under law. Yet it
goes on unabated at the industrial towns like Firozabad, Shivakasi, and Mirzapur and
so on.

The child labour is hazardous in nature. It inflicts physical and mental harm to the
boys. The work in the glass bangle industry often ends up them losing their eyesight
before they become adults. The mind-numbling toil of bangle-making kills all their
initiatives, drive and ability to dream in life. They are even deprived of the school
education and proper growth.

According to the writer about 20,000 children are working in the glass bangle
industry of Firozabad. Some of the industrialists conspire in unison with the
sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen and the politicians and then go on stealing
their childhood for some extra coins. The .only possible solution lies with the
government and the society to punish the wrong-doers very strictly and keep a
careful watch and vigil over them.

36. “For the children, it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders, it is a means of survival.”
What kind of life do the rag-pickers of Seemapuri lead? Answer in about 120-150
words. [All India 2017]
A. Seemapuri is a settlement of rag pickers. It is a place on the outskirts of Delhi. Those
who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh in 1971. They live here
without an identity and permits. They do have ration cards that enable them to vote
and buy grain. Food is more important for them than their identity. Children grow up
to become partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking.
Through the years it has acquired the ‘proportions of a fine art’. An army of barefoot
children appears in the morning with their plastic bags on their shoulders. They
disappear by noon. Garbage has a different meaning for children. For them, it is
wrapped in `wonder’. They may find a rupee even a ten rupee note or a silver coin.
There is always hope of finding more. But Seemapuri is a hell. Rag pickers live in
structures of mud. They have roofs of tin and tarpaulin. There is no sewage,
drainage or running water. It is unimaginable that it is a part of Delhi.

37. ‘Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands of
people to a lift of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
A. ‘Lost Spring’ is indeed a description of the grinding poverty and traditions that
condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty.

Saheb, a young rag picker is doomed to live a miserable life of poverty. He wants to
go to school and play tennis. Due to poverty, he has to even give up his freedom and
start working as a helper at a tea shop. Here he is burdened with the commands of
his employer and is forced to live a miserable life. Another such example is that of
Mukesh who belongs to a bangle makers family in Firozabad. He wants to be a
 motor mechanic. But his family traditions and poverty have forced him to work in
the inhumane conditions of a bangle factory, in dark rooms and near hot furnaces.

Thus, the poor and destitute of both Seemapuri and Firozabad are caught in the web
of poverty, servitude, suppression and exploitation.

38. Justify the title of the story ‘Lost Spring’.

A. Childhood is considered the spring of human life. It is full of exuberance and
playfulness. But the children of rag pickers of Seemapuri and bangle makers of
Firozabad are deprived of this period; their life. They never enjoy the carefreeness of
their childhood. They have to assist their poor parents in earning their living since
the very tender age.

In fact, the story brings out the reality of our society where poor children work as
rag pickers and bangle bakers in inhuman and hazardous conditions. The plight of
these children highlights the apathy of the rich and powerful people of the society
who have no concern for them.

‘Lost Spring’ refers to those moments of childhood which are full of happiness,
growth and carefree spirit and which have been snatched from the children of
Seemapuri and Firozabad. The title justifies the story which makes an effort to
sensitize the people towards these poor children. It emphasizes the need to save the
childhood of these poor children and provide them with their basic rights of a
decent life and good education.

Competency level questions:

39. Most of us do not raise our voice against injustice in our society. Anees Jung in her
story, ‘Lost Spring’ vividly highlights the miserable life of street children and bangle
makers of Firozabad. What values do we need to inculcate among the people to bring
back the spring in the lives of these children.
A. Anees Jung wants to uplift the cause of street children and bangle makers. Children
living in Seemapuri do not go to school as there is no school. They are barefooted
and spend their days scrounging for something wonderful in heaps of garbage. The
children lead miserable lives, caught in the vicious circle of poverty in to which they
have fallen due to the middlemen, sahukars, and law enforcement officials.

Media can create awareness about the underprivileged. We need to garner support
from youngsters and start night schools for children like Saheb-e-Alam. There is
hope when Anees Jung encounters youngsters like Mukesh who dare to dream.
More people need to come forward and create an environment in which these
children dare to dream.
40. “None of them knows that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass
furnaces with high temperatures”. What can be done to improve a lot of poor children
in India?
A. The problem of employment of children in hazardous conditions is prevalent in
India. The Government has taken measures to curb this malpractice. However, the
implementation of the laws must be stringent. The children must be provided with
education. Moreover, the parents also have to be made aware of the hazards and
dangers their children face in such working in hazardous conditions.

Most of the children working in Firozabad lose their eyesight before they become
adults. There is a vicious cycle of poverty due to middlemen, sahukars and law
enforcers. A situation must be created where the children can exercise their right to
education and their parents receive their dues.