MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS(Answer in about 30-40 words each)

Q1. Who was Saheb? What was he doing and why?
Ans. Saheb was a young boy of school-going age. He was looking for gold in the garbage dumps
of the big city. He had left his home in Dhaka, Bangladesh and came to the big city in
search of living. He has nothing else to do but pick rags.
92. "But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world." What promise does the
author recall? In what context was it made? Was itfulfilled?
Ans. The author asked Saheb about going to school. Saheb explained that there was no school
in his neighbourhood. He promised to go to school when they built one. Half joking, the
author asked whether he would come in case she started one. Saheb sniled broadly and
agreed to come. After a few days, he ran upto the author and asked if the school was ready.
The author felt embarrassed. She had made a promise that was not meant.
Q3. What is the meaning of Saheb's full name? Does he know it? How does he conduct himself?
Ans. His fullname is "Saheb-e-Alam". It means the lord of the universe. He does not know it. If
he knew it, he would hardly believe it. He roams the streets barefoot with other
rag-pickers. This army of barefoot boys appears in the morning and disappears at noon.
Q4. How does the author focus on the perpetual state of poverty' of the children not wearing
footwear?
Ans. The author notices that most of the young children engaged in rag picking are not wearing
footwear. Some of them do not have chappals. Others want to wear shoes. Some say it is
tradition to stay barefoot. To the author it seems lack of money. Poverty forces them to
walk without footwear.
Q5. Explain: "For children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents.
Ans. Small children scrounge heaps of garbage. They expect to get some coin, note or valuable
thing in it. Sometimes they find a rupee or even a ten rupee note. This gives the hope of
inding more. They search it excitedly. For children, garbage is wrapped in wonder.
For the elders it is a means of survival. Thus garbage has two different meanings.
0. Where does the author find Saheb one winter morning? What explanation does Saheb
offer?
S Lne author finds Saheb standing by the fenced gate of aneighbourhood club. He is watching
young men, dressed in white, playing tennis. Saheb says that he likes the game, but
around.
COntent to watch it standing behind the fence, He goes inside when no one is
He uses the swing there.
 but what is "out of his reaeh
2.Mow has a dream come true" for Saheb haH a hole, Saheb does not bother
Ans. Saheb is wearing discarded tennis shoes. One of them come
walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream
about the hole. For one who has
watching80 intently, isout of his resch.
true. But tennis, the game he is he starts uworking al the tea Btall?
change when Thus food 18 no
8. How does Saheb's life paid 800 rupees and all his meals.
Ans. Saheb now has a regular income. He is
look. The steel canister in his hand now seems
the carefree hours. This
problem. But his face bas lost own master. He may have to work for longer
longer his
aburden. He is no
exploitation makes him sad. does it look lihe "a miage amidst the dust?"
ishis dream? Why family is
Q9. Whois Mukesh? What bangle-maker of Firozabad, where every other send his
of a poor
Ans. Mukesh is the son bangles. p00r father has failed torenovate his house or a motor
engaged in making His
own master. His dream dreamis to be
insists on being his looks like
two sons to school. Mukesh Given the conditions of existence, his
mechanic. He wantsto drive a car.
a mirage amidst the dust.
Firozabad from this chapter?
Q10. What do you learn about glass bangles. It is the centre of India's glass-blowing industry.
for its
Ans. Firozabad is famous generations around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles
working engaged in making
Families have spent Every other family in Firozabad is
for all the women in the land.
bangles.
bangle-makers they have seen nothing but bangles." Wheredo they
Q11. Born in the caste of
'see' bangles?
born in the caste of bangle-makers. They know no other work.
Ans. Children like Mukesh are the yard, in every other house, every
other yard, every
They see bangles in the house, in bangles lie in mounds in unkempt yards. They are piled
.street in Firozabad. The spirals of
on four wheeled hand carts. and the atmosphere of the
between the colours of the bangles
Q12. What contrast doyou notice made?
placewhere these bangles are seven colours of the rainbow. These are
are of every colour born out of the
Ans. The bangles
green, royal blue, pink and purple. Boys and girls work in dark hutments,
sunny gold, paddy lamps around furnaces, blowing glass, welding and
next to the flickering flames of oil
soldering it to make bangles.
of? Whatwould happen if law were enforced
Q13. What are most of thebangle-makers ignorant
strictly? children in bangle
Ans. Most of the bangle makers are ignorant of the fact that employing
making is illegal. This is a hazardous industry. Many children become blind before reaching
children would be released from
their adulthood. If the law were enforced strictly 20,000
working hard throughout the day at hot furnaces with high temperatures.
Q14. Where is Mukesh 's house located? What is he proud of?
garbage.The homes there are
Ans. Mukesh'shouse is built in a slum-area. The lanes stink with crowded with families
hovels with crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows. These are
Mukesh is proud that his
of humans and animals. Most of these houses are shacks or huts, home.
house is being rebuilt. His eyes shine as he volunteersto take the author to his
their house?
Q15. What impression doyou form about Mukesh's family on havingaglimpse ofthatched with
Ans. Mukesh's house is a half built shack with a wobbly door. One part of it is vessel. More
dead grass. There is a frewood stove. Spinach leaves are sizzling in a large
chopped vegetables lie on aluminium platters. The eyes of the frail young woman are
 do enough
Years aredrag things arewhich bureaucrat
the
Her sanctity her author mannot is complaint?
ignorant to draped industry?
contentmet theshe
Grewood
thehas to
come to This
however, to They workers
Ans. of
failed glass. old money them. and in
of elders withHe on the eyes. have see circle
daughter-in-Jaw "the will is an bangle-makers. men.them caste
maker. is bride common them bangle-making
not for
of
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has,her enough
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but wentbangle as a
are exactly Shein
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Tost before innocent
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father
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is
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heris of
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His and is bride.
Indian Red eyes." you do a
as her
filled is She author, helplessness
there bangles.
is into noticeby
among
the respect Comment.
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a
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an What
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lament
lives?
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the customs has like in the are know
in glass his symbolise? hands her this? still have bangle-mahers middle
of Mukesh'sthe
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QI6.Ans. Q17.Ans Q18.Ans. Q19. Ans. Q20. Ans. 2L. Ans. q22. S Q23.
 Q25. What doyou think is the themne of 'Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood'?
Ans. The theme of thechapter is the grinding poverty and the traditions which
children to a life of exploitation. The two stories taken together depict the plightcondem
of spoor
chìldren forced into labour early in life and denied the opportunity of street
callousness of society and the political class to the sufferings of the poor adds schooling. The
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Answer in 125-150words)
insult toinjury.
Q1. What are thedreams of the poor like 'Saheb-e-Alam' and Mukesh? could these be
What is the reality of the situation?
realised?
Ans. Poor rag-pickers like Saheb spend the early years of their lives looking for gold in garbage
dumps. The parents of these street children have no fixed income. They wage war against
poverty and hunger. They have nodreams except finding the means of survival. Garbage
tothem is gold. It is the source of their daily bread and provides a roof over their heads.
He ends up as a servant at a tea-stall and loses his freedom.
Mukesh, the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad, has a dream of becoming a motor
mechanic. He also wants to learn to drive a car. He thinks of joining a garage to fulfil his
dream. He knows that the garage is far away, yet he has decided to walk. He realises the
reality and is willing to overcome the obstacles. His daring to rise and decision to get free
from the trap laid by vicious moneylenders and middle men arouses a sense of hope.
Deprived of education, proper food and upbringing, these children are forced into labour
early in life.
Talking about the text
1. How, in your opinion,can Mukesh realize his dream? unlike most
This is
Mukesh, one of the children in Firozabad, aspires to be a motor mechanic.
conditions. Most of the
people who work in bangle manufacturing units amidstinappalling their
miserable plight as
people there, caught in the vicious circle, are born and die the same
forefathers. He dares to dream. determined to become a
is
He has thought of his plan as much as a child of his age can. He the garage is a tong way
learn. He realizes that
garage mechanic and to go to a garage and driving cars that he
walk. he insists, He dreams of
Jrom his home, yet he is resolute. will
passion and perseverance will help him achieve
streets of his town. His
sees hurtlingdown the
his goals.
breaking from tradition, is the first step towards
able to dream of
Thus,the fact that Mukesh is
the realization of his dreams. but
realizing a dream is to focus, not on success,
The key to will take on
As Oprah Winfrey says, the small steps and little victories along your path
significance and then even
greater meaning.'

Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry.

2. to work in dangerous and unhealthy
where children are forced
Child labour implies a situation them physically, emotionally, and mentally for the rest of
conditions that willmost likely scar India is concentrated in Firozabad. These factories
glassware industry in
their life. Theglass and as bangles, chandeliers, wine glasses, beads, crockery,
produce a number of glass items, such employsabout 8,000 to 50,000 children some as young
bulbs,and cut glass items. The industry an inferno, due to intense heat (1400-1600°
floor is typically
as eight years old. The factory glass, dangling electric wires, and no protective equipment
Celsius), poor ventilation, broken
whatsoever.

glass splinters injure the workers, and pieces of glass cut into the bare feet of children.
Often, their bodies. Children are seen walking
The children bump into each other and may scorch
scalps.
barefoot over glass littered floors, some with scarred eyes and burnt
asthma,
Child workers in the glass factories in Firozabad suffer from mental retardation, Studies
bronchitis, eye problems, liver ailments, skin burns, chronicanemia, and tuberculosis.
conducted at the Maulana Azad Medical College, in New Delhi, show genetic damage in the
bods cells of the labourers who have worked close to furnace heat for three years or more.
Children working in factories often suffer from emotional, mental, and psychological
Their childhood gets lost.
Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
There are various harmful effects of child labour. These include:
(a) Economic exploitation: Children mas onls receive one quarter of adultwages.
 8 Who all did the writer meet in Mukesh's house?
entered Mukesh's house, she
Mukesh was born in the caste of bangle makers. As the writer
sawa weak young woman cooking the evening meal for the whole jamily. She was the wote
Mukesh's elder brother. She was very young but had begun to command respect as the
the daughter-in-law of the house. She was in charge of three men-her husband.,Mukesh and bahu,
their father. Mukesh's father was an impoverished bangle maker. He had worked
hard,
as a tailor, then as a bangle maker but had not been able to renovate a house or send hicfrst
tu
sons to school. He could only teach them the art of making bangles. Mukesh's grandmotha
was an old woman who had watched her husband go blind with the dust from polishing th
glass of bangles. But she accepted it as her fate as she felt that god-given lineage could never
be broken.

9. Bring out the pathos and irony in Savita's story.

The writer saw Savita, ayoung girl sitting near an an elderls woman and soldering pieces of
glass. Although her hands moved mechanicalls like a machine, she did not seem to know the
sacred significance of the bangles for an Indian woman for whomn it is suhaag, a good omen
in marriage. She would onls realize this when she became a bride. The old
woman beside her
still had bangles on her wrist but no light in her eyes. She had not
in her entire lifetime, despite years of labour. Her husband, an old enjoyed even one full meal
man
knew nothing except bangles. All he had done was build a house for the with a flowing beard,
famils to live in.
10. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all
initiative and the ability to dream. Explain.
Most families in Firozabad work at furnaces, welding
glass, making
glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dirty and small places bangles. Thes work in the
often lose the brightness of their eyes, working there. They live in devoid of air and light and
shacks with crumbling walls, shaky doors, no windows, crowded withpathetic houses that are
families of humans and
animals living together in a primitive state. The people there are poor bangle
toiled all their lives without achievinganything. But, it is makers who have
They often lose their vision before they become adults. Itaccepted as their karam, or destiny.
has been the same for qenerations
in Firozabad.
The sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the
bureaucrats and the
politicians exploit them. Together they perpetuate this vicious cycle--creating a world where
these poor people suffer generation after gerneration. Years of a sad life has killed their enternrice
and their desires.