Class 12 English Flamingo – Chapter 2: Lost Spring – Questions and Answers
Q1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans: Saheb is looking for gold in the garbage dumps. He is in the neighbourhood of the author. Saheb has come from Bangladesh. He came with his mother in 1971. His house was set amidst the green fields of Dhaka. Storms swept away their fields and homes. So they left the country.
Q2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Ans: One explanation offered by the author is that it is a tradition to stay barefoot. It is not due to lack of money. The author thinks this might be an excuse for continued poverty. He also shares the story of a poor boy who prayed for a pair of shoes.
Q3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
Ans: No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He is no longer his own master. His face has lost the carefree expression. The steel canister he carries is heavier than the plastic bag he once used. The canister belongs to the tea-stall owner, unlike the plastic bag that was his own.
Q4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Ans: The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family there is involved in the bangle-making business. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry. The people have been doing this work for generations.
Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?
Ans: Workers, including children, work in dark hutments near hot furnaces. The extreme heat and glass dust affect their eyesight, and many lose their vision before adulthood. The polishing dust and poor working conditions are also harmful.
Q6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Ans: Unlike his family, Mukesh dreams of becoming a motor mechanic. While his father and grandmother believe they are born to make bangles, Mukesh wants to break away from this tradition and learn a new skill at a garage, even if it’s far from his home.
Q7. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Ans: People migrate to cities in search of better livelihood options. When their farmlands fail to provide food or income, they move to urban areas where jobs or other earning sources are available. Survival becomes the primary reason for migration.
Q8. Would you agree that promises made to the poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Ans: Yes, promises made to poor children are rarely kept. In the story, the author casually tells Saheb she will open a school. Saheb takes it seriously and asks about it later. The author feels embarrassed. Such false hopes are common in their hopeless world.
Q9. What forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans: The moneylenders, middlemen, police, law-keepers, bureaucrats, and politicians all conspire to keep the bangle workers poor. This system traps generations of families in poverty and child labour.
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