Here is a summary of the chapter “Lost Spring” and the answers to the questions, based on the provided sources.
Summary of “Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood”
The chapter “Lost Spring” by Anees Jung explores the lives of children forced into labour who are denied the opportunity of schooling, highlighting the plight of street children. It also touches upon the callousness of society and the political class towards the sufferings of the poor. The narrative analyses the grinding poverty and traditions which condemn these children to a life of exploitation.
The first part of the chapter focuses on Saheb, a young boy who is a ragpicker in Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi. Saheb’s family migrated from Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 1971 after storms swept away their fields and homes. For ragpickers, garbage is considered “gold” as it is their daily bread and provides a roof over their heads. Saheb, initially hopeful about perhaps going to school one day, is later found working at a tea stall, earning 800 rupees and meals. However, his face has lost its carefree look, and he is no longer his “own master” as the steel canister he carries belongs to the tea shop owner.
The second part introduces Mukesh, a boy in Firozabad, a city famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles, an industry where families have spent generations working around hot furnaces in dingy cells without air and light. It is illegal for children like Mukesh to work in these conditions, which can lead to losing the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh, unlike others who are trapped in the vicious circle of poverty and feel helpless against middlemen, policemen, and bureaucrats, dreams of becoming a motor mechanic and insists on being his “own master”. Despite the challenges and distance to a garage, he is determined to learn. The chapter portrays the collective despair and lack of initiative among the bangle makers, highlighting how the burdens of poverty and caste are imposed on children from a young age, making daring to dream seem outside the norm.
Answers to Questions
Here are the answers to the questions from the provided excerpts related to “Lost Spring”:
Questions from Page 16:
What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from? 🤔 Saheb is looking for “gold” in the garbage dumps. He is in Seemapuri, on the periphery of Delhi. He has come from Dhaka, Bangladesh, because storms swept away his family’s fields and homes.
What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear? 🦶❌ The author offers several explanations. One boy says his mother did not bring his chappals down from the shelf. Others might say it is a perpetual state of poverty or a tradition to remain barefoot. The author wonders if it is just an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty.
Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain. 😊❓ Based on the text, Saheb does not seem happy working at the tea-stall. His face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister he carries feels heavier than his old ragpicking bag because it belongs to someone else and he is no longer his own master.
Questions from Page 19:
What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities? 🏡➡️🏢 Based on Saheb’s story, one reason for migration is natural disasters, such as storms sweeping away fields and homes. Another reason, suggested by the women in Seemapuri, is that their fields back home gave them “no grain”, implying a lack of food or livelihood, making finding food in the city more important for survival.
Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text? 🤝💔 Yes, based on the text, promises made to poor children are presented as rarely kept. In the incident narrated, the author jokingly asked Saheb if he would come to school if she started one, and then felt embarrassed later, stating that promises like hers “abound in every corner of his bleak world”. This suggests that promises are often made casually or without genuine intention by those in a better position, adding to the bleakness of the children’s lives.
What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty? ⛓️ According to the text, the workers in the bangle industry are caught in a vicious circle involving several forces. These include the middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers, the police who haul them up and drag them to jail for trying to organise, the keepers of law, bureaucrats, and politicians who together impose the burden of poverty and caste on the children. Daring to do anything else would mean facing these forces.
Questions from Page 20:
What makes the city of Firozabad famous? ✨🏭 The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. It is described as the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry.
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry. ⚠️🔥👁️ Working in the glass bangles industry involves working around furnaces with high temperatures in dingy cells without air and light. These conditions cause workers to slog their daylight hours and often lead to losing the brightness of their eyes.
How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family? 💪🌟 Mukesh’s attitude is different because he has a flash of daring and a definite dream. While his family and the young men of Firozabad seem resigned to their fate, echoing the lament of their elders and having lost the ability to dream, Mukesh insists on being his own master and wants to become a motor mechanic. He is willing to walk a long way to a garage to learn.