02_HE LOST SPRING STORIES OF STOLEN CHILDHOOD

 

Summary

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Saheb-e-Alam

Name means – lord of the universe,

migrated with his family from Dhaka in 1971,

lives in Seemapuri,

survives by rag picking-

doesn’t go to school, works barefooted.

Living conditions : Lack of basic amenities,

structures of mud, tin and tarpaulin,

no sewage,

no drainage,

no water,

loses freedom when he starts working at a tea-stall.

Living Conditions in Seemapuri

On the outskirts of Delhi yet miles away from it,

home to 10,000 rag pickers,

make a living by picking garbage,

mastered the art of rag picking,

food and survival more important for their identity,

live in a state of poverty.

Garbage to them is gold because it is a means of survival,

sometimes they find a rupee or even a ten rupee note and for children garbage is wrapped in wonder.

Mukesh:  Bangle maker of Firozabad,

works  in high  temperatures,

workplace-small and dirty,

hazardous working condition.

Dreams of being a ‘motor mechanic’.Similarities between Sahcb-e-Alam and Mukesh

have aspirations and desires like other children

suffer from immense poverty and scarcity af food

caught in the web of child labour

lead a life of exploitation

undergo physical, mental and emotional sufferings

Hazards of Working in Glass Bangle Factory

high temperatures

lack of proper ventilation and light

long working hours,

in front of hot furnace boys and girls assist parents in the dim light of flickering oil lamps

eyes are more adjusted lo dark than light

dust from polishing bangles affect their eyes

exploited by moneylenders, police, bureaucrats, politicians

fear of being ill treated by police

lack of a leader who can organise them

live in a state of intense poverty

live on an empty stomach

live in stinky lanesovercrowded with humans and animals.

 

Questions& Answers

 

Shorl Answer Type Questions (40-50 words). (3marks each)

1. Why is the author’s advice to Saheb-e-Alam to go to school hollow?
2. Why did Saheb-e-Alam’s family and other rag pickers migrate to Delhi and are not ready to go back to their motherland?
3. What docs Saheb wish to do and what is the irony in the name Saheb-e-Alam?
4. How do children of rag pickers become equal partners in survival? What is their attitude towards garbage?
5. How has rag picking acquired the proportions ofa fine art?
6. What is Sahcb’s newjob? Why is he not happy with his new job?
7. “Garbage to them is gold.” Bring out the significance of this statement.
8. How do an adult and a child rag picker look at garbage ?
9. How is the bangle industry of Firozabad a curse for the bangle makers?
10. Describe the working conditions of bangle makers of Firozabad.
11. What is his significance ofbangles for an Indian woman?
12. Why do the bangle workers not organise themselves into a co­operative?
13. Why does Mukesh proudly say that his house is being rebuilt?
14. Why is Mukesh’s dream of becoming motor mechanic significant?
15. How arc the elders of Firozabad responsible for the pathetic condition of their children ? Give a reasoned answer.

Long Answer Type Questions

Answer the following in 125-150 words (6 marks each)

1. “Survival in Seemapuri means rag picking”. Give a detailed account of the life and activities of the refugees from Bangladesh settled in Seemapuri.
2. The life of bangle makers of Firozabad is full of hazards which force them to lead a life of poverty and deprivation. Elaborate.
3. The lesson “Lost Spring” is a realistic portrayal of the lives of street children. Discuss.
4. “Poverty is a vicious cycle for refugees, slum dwellers and bangle makers.Discuss in the light of the lesson, ‘Lost Spring.’

Value Based Question:

1. “The bag was his. The canister belongs to the man who owns the tea shop. Saheb is no longer his own master!”

Having no master to command over and control is the best form of freedom. We struggled for a long time to throw away the painful burden of colonial forces. But that is not all that we intended. We still need to achieve self-reliance. Getting ideas from Saheb’stea shop experience and on the basis of your own experiences write a speech in about 100 words on the topic “Self reliance.”

 

 

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