Question 1

Think as you read

1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
3. How is Mukesh's attitude to his situation different from that of his family?

Accepted Answer

1. Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles industry. It is known as the city of glass bangles.

2. The hazards of working in the glass bangles industry include exposure to heat and smoke, risk of burns and injuries, poor working conditions, and health problems due to inhaling glass dust and chemicals.

3. Mukesh's attitude is different because he dares to dream of becoming a motor mechanic and wants to learn a skill that can help him improve his life. Unlike his family, who accept their poverty and situation as natural and unchangeable, Mukesh shows a spark of hope and ambition. — The answers are based on the text describing Firozabad's glass bangle industry and Mukesh's character. The city is known for glass bangles, the work is hazardous, and Mukesh's attitude shows hope and daring unlike his family's acceptance of poverty.

Question 2

Understanding the text

1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
2. 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?
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?

Accepted Answer

1. Reasons for migration include lack of employment opportunities in villages, poverty, search for better livelihood, and attraction of city jobs even if low-paying.

2. Yes, promises made to poor children are rarely kept because of systemic neglect, poverty, lack of education, and exploitation by society and authorities. In the text, children are forced into labour and denied schooling.

3. Forces include exploitation by middlemen and factory owners, lack of education, poor working conditions, absence of social security, and the cycle of poverty that traps workers. — The answers reflect socio-economic realities described in the text where poverty and exploitation force migration and keep workers poor.

Question 3

Talking about the text

1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Accepted Answer

1. Mukesh can realise his dream by getting access to proper training in a garage, support from family and society, education, and opportunities to learn a trade. Government schemes and NGOs can help.

2. Hazards include exposure to heat, risk of burns, inhalation of harmful dust and chemicals, poor working conditions, and health risks.

3. Child labour should be eliminated because it deprives children of education, harms their health, and exploits them. It can be eliminated through strict laws, awareness campaigns, education for all children, and social support for families. — These answers are based on the text's depiction of Mukesh's situation and the dangers of child labour in hazardous industries.

Question 4

Carefully read the following phrases and sentences taken from the text. Can you identify the literary device in each example?

1. Saheb-e-Alam which means the lord of the universe is directly in contrast to what Saheb is in reality.
2. Drowned in an air of desolation.
3. Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.
4. For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of survival.
5. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make.
6. She still has bangles on her wrist, but not light in her eyes.
7. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
8. Web of poverty.
9. Scrounging for gold.
10. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art.
11. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulders.

Accepted Answer

1. Irony (contrast between meaning and reality)
2. Metaphor (air of desolation as drowning)
3. Metaphor (distance metaphorically)
4. Contrast/Metaphor
5. Simile (like the tongs of a machine)
6. Metaphor (light in eyes)
7. Symbolism/Metaphor (few airplanes symbolize lack of progress)
8. Metaphor (web of poverty)
9. Metaphor (scrounging for gold)
10. Hyperbole (rag-picking as fine art)
11. Simile/Comparison (steel canister heavier than plastic bag) — Each phrase uses a literary device such as metaphor, simile, hyperbole, or irony to enhance the text's meaning and emotional impact.

Question 5

Look around and find examples of such paradoxes.
Write a paragraph of about 200 to 250 words on any one of them. You can start by making notes.

Accepted Answer

Students should observe paradoxes in society such as poor workers building rich buildings, miners working in dangerous conditions to extract valuable minerals, or carpet weavers creating beautiful carpets while living in poverty. They should write a paragraph explaining one such paradox, describing the contrast between the product and the plight of the workers.

Example beginning: "You never see the poor in this town. By day they toil, working cranes and earthmovers, squirreling deep into the hot sand to lay the foundations of chrome. By night they are banished to bleak labour camps at the outskirts of the city..." — This is a creative writing task encouraging students to observe and reflect on social paradoxes and express them in writing.

Question 6

As you have read, a large population works in unorganized sectors like garbage pickers, bangle makers, vegetable sellers, etc. How do you think workers in unorganized sectors can take advantage of digital infrastructure promoted through Digital India Programme? Interview some people working in unorganized sector to collect their views and prepare a report.

Accepted Answer

Workers in unorganized sectors can benefit from digital infrastructure by accessing information about government schemes, digital payments, online marketplaces, and skill development programs. Digital literacy can empower them to improve their earnings and working conditions. Preparing a report involves interviewing workers, noting their challenges and views on digital tools, and suggesting ways digital India can help.

Example report points:
- Awareness of digital payments to avoid middlemen
- Access to online training and education
- Use of mobile phones for communication and marketing
- Challenges like lack of digital literacy and infrastructure
- Recommendations for government support and training — This task develops research, interviewing, and report writing skills while linking the text to contemporary digital initiatives.

Question 7

Who is Anees Jung and what is the main focus of her book 'Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood'?

Accepted Answer

Anees Jung is an Indian writer born in 1944 in Rourkela who has worked as an editor and columnist. Her book 'Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood' focuses on the grinding poverty and traditions that exploit children, condemning them to lost childhoods and forced labor. — Anees Jung, born in Rourkela and educated in Hyderabad and the USA, is a renowned writer focusing on social issues. In 'Lost Spring', she highlights how poverty and social traditions trap children in exploitation and prevent them from enjoying childhood and education.

Question 8

What does the expression 'slog their daylight hours' mean in the context of the chapter?

Accepted Answer

work hard for long hours / toil for many hours — 'Slog their daylight hours' means to work very hard throughout the day, often in difficult conditions. In the chapter, it refers to children laboring long hours in harsh environments like glass furnaces.

Question 9

Saheb, a child ragpicker, migrated from which place and why?

Accepted Answer

Dhaka, because storms destroyed their fields and homes — Saheb's family migrated from Dhaka after many storms swept away their fields and homes, forcing them to seek survival in the city garbage dumps.

Question 10

Why does Saheb say he does not wear chappals (footwear)?

Accepted Answer

His mother did not bring them down from the shelf — Saheb explains simply that his mother did not bring the chappals down from the shelf. Another boy adds that even if brought, he would throw them off. This shows a mix of poverty and tradition influencing barefoot walking.

Question 11

What does the metaphor 'Garbage to them is gold' signify in the chapter?

Accepted Answer

Garbage is valuable and a source of livelihood for ragpickers — The metaphor highlights how ragpickers see garbage as valuable, their daily bread and survival means, unlike others who see it as waste.

Question 12

Describe the living conditions of the families in Seemapuri as depicted in the chapter.

Accepted Answer

Families in Seemapuri live in mud structures with roofs made of tin and tarpaulin. They lack sewage, drainage, and running water. Their homes are dark hutments, crowded and unsanitary, reflecting extreme poverty and lack of basic amenities. — Seemapuri is described as a squatter settlement with poor living conditions—mud houses, leaking roofs, no proper sanitation or water supply, and overcrowding, which shows the harsh reality of the ragpicker community.

Question 13

Explain why Saheb's job at the tea stall marks a loss of freedom for him.

Accepted Answer

Saheb's job at the tea stall means he now works for an employer who owns the steel canister he carries, unlike before when he roamed freely collecting garbage. This makes him no longer his own master, indicating a loss of independence. — Previously, Saheb was free to scavenge at will. Now, working at the tea stall with equipment owned by someone else, he is bound by the employer's control, symbolizing the loss of autonomy that comes with formal labor.

Question 14

What is Mukesh's dream and how does it differ from his family's traditional occupation?

Accepted Answer

Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic, unlike his family who make glass bangles — Mukesh aspires to learn to drive and become a motor mechanic, which contrasts with his family's inherited occupation of making glass bangles in hazardous conditions.

Question 15

What are the hazards faced by children working in the glass bangle industry in Firozabad?

Accepted Answer

Children working in the glass bangle industry face hazards such as exposure to high furnace temperatures, working in dark, poorly ventilated cells, and inhaling dust that can cause loss of eyesight and other health problems. — The chapter describes how children work long hours near furnaces with intense heat and poor lighting, leading to serious health risks including blindness and respiratory issues.

Lost Spring Stories of Stolen Childhood About the author

Lost Spring Stories of Stolen Childhood About the author — Study Notes

About the author

'Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage'

"I want to drive a car"

Practice Questions — Lost Spring Stories of Stolen Childhood About the author

All 13 Chapters in Flamingo