CBSE Class 12 English Lost Spring Assignment

Main Points :-

Part A : Seemapuri

1. The boy Saheb-e-Alam meaning. 'The Lord of Universe' lives in Seemapuri, on the outskirts of Delhi
2. A refugee from Bangladesh, he does rag-picking for survival. He lives in miserable unhygienic conditions.
3. Bangladesh refugees have been living in Seemapuri since 1971, without permits but with only ration cards.
4. Rag-picking has gradually acquired the proportions of a fine art, Sometimes it brings them coins, a ten rupee note and even some valuable surprises.
5. On her next encounter, the author comes across 'Saheb' as an employee in a tea-stall, doing hard work.
6. Now, the care-free look of Saheb has been replaced by worries and anxieties on his face.

Part B: Firozabad

1. Mukesh, living in Firozabad, employed in the family business of making bangles, is ambitious to become a motor mechanic.
2. His grandmother considers 'bangle-making' to be God-given lineage owing to their caste and tradition.
3. Savita, also engaged in bangle-making, does not understand the importance of bangles in Indian society.
4. Those engaged in 'bangle-making' lose their eye-sight owing to the glass-dust, their working conditions are very tough.
5. They are ill-treated, ill-fed and ill brought up for want of money.
6. They fail to organise themselves into a co-operative as they are in the trap of vicious circle of Middlemen , Sahukars, policemen and politicians.
7. Their 'family traditions' and the 'Vicious Circle' keep them in this perpetual trap.
8. Mukesh dreams big but lack of resources such as-money, education etc put a check on his dreams, will he be able to pursue his dreams?

Major features :-

Issues- Raised :
(a) Child-labour
(b) Exploitation in the name of traditions
(c) Corruption by those in power and position.

Questions:

Question. What does the name of 'Saheb-e-alam mean? Bring out the irony
Answer: Saheb means- 'The Lord of Universe' The irony is that he doesn't even have a roof over his head but his name means, the lord of universe.

Question. Why does Mukesh want to become a motor-mechanic?
Answer: to become self-reliant, to improve his lot, doesn't like bangle-making.

Question. Does Savita understand the importance of bangles?
Answer: Too young to understand the signifrcance of the bangles.

Question. What keeps bangle-makers in the trap?
Answer: Irrational adherence to tradition, perpetual poverty, Vicious circle of Sahukar , Policemen , Middlemen , Politicians,etc.

Questions:

Question. Mention the hazards of working in bangle industry?
Answer: Unhygienic conditions, loss of eye-sight, high temperature etc.

Question. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer: A curse, affects child's proper growth cause of social backwardness through awareness, implementation of strong legislations.

GIST OF THE LESSON

• The author examines and analyses the impoverished conditions and traditions that condemn children to a life of exploitation these children are denied an education and forced into hardships early in their lives.
• The writer encounters Saheb - a rag picker whose parents have left behind the life of poverty in Dhaka to earn a living in Delhi.
• His family like many other families of rag pickers lives in Seemapuri. They do not have other identification other than a ration card.
• The children do not go to school and they are excited at the prospect of finding a coin or even a ten rupee note for rummaging in the garbage.
• It is the only way of earning the life they live in impoverished conditions but are resigned to their fate.
• The writer is pained to see Saheb, a rag picker whose name means the ruler of earth, lose the spark of childhood and roams barefooted with his friends.
• From morning to noon the author encounters him in a tea stall and is paid Rs. 800 He sadly realizes that he is no longer his own master and this loss of identity weighs heavily on his tender shoulders.
• The author then tells about another victim, Mukesh who wants to be a motor mechanic.
• Hailing from Firozabad, the centre of India's bangle making and glass blowing industry, he has always worked in the glass making industry.
• His family like the others there do not know that it is illegal for children to work in such close proximity to furnaces, in such high temperatures.
• They are exposed to various health hazards like losing their eyesight as they work in abysmal conditions, in dark and dingy cells.
• Mukesh's father is blind as were his father and grandfather before him.
• They lead a hand to mouth existence as they are caught in the vicious web of the money lenders, middlemen, police and the traditions
• So burdened are the bangle makers of Firozabad that they have lost their ability to dream unlike Mukesh who dreams of driving a car.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question. What does Saheb do for living? Why?
Answer: Saheb is a rag picker. His family has left the life of poverty behind in Dhaka in to pursue their dream of finding a better life. The children like him have no access to Education and are forced into rag picking

Question. 'Saheb is no longer his own master􂀝, says the writer. What does she mean?
Answer: The writer means that having accepted the job with the tea-stall, Saheb has lost the independence that he enjoyed as a rag picker, even though he was poor. Although he will now be able to supplement the family income, it will be at the cost of his freedom, which is difficult, binding and unfair for someone so young.

Question. Why did people migrate from the village in Dhaka to Delhi ?
Answer: Better education, job opportunities and living conditions.

Question. What trade does the family of Mukesh follow? Why does the writer feel that it will be difficult for Mukesh to break away from this tradition?
Answer: Engaged in bangle making-difficult to break away from this trade. He belongs to the caste of bangle makers His family is caught in the web of sohukars, the middlemen, policemen, politicians and bureaucrats, from which there is no escape.

LONG ANSWER QUESTION

Question. 'Lost Spring', is a sad commentary on the political system of our country that condemns thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Comment.
Answer: Saheb, optimistic and enthusiastic-prospect of finding gold in garbage-likes going to school but no opportunity-freedom and joy of childhood to burdens of job at tea-stall.
Mukesh, born at Firozabad (bangle maker)-works under inhuman condition-dark room, hot furnaces-caught in web of poverty-vicious circle of sahukars, policemen, politicians,
bureaucrats and moneylenders-resigned to fate-unaware of child labour act-stifled initiation and hope-lose eyesight before becoming adults.

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