Answers to Questions from 'Lost Spring' by Anees Jung
Understanding the Text
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Migration from villages to cities often happens due to poverty, natural calamities, and lack of basic
facilities like food, education, and healthcare. In the story, families like Sahebs move to urban slums
like Seemapuri after floods destroy their lands. Though cities offer no real prosperity, they give a
small hope for survival. These families live in dire conditions but choose city life because the village
no longer offers them the dignity of even a single proper meal.
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?
Yes, promises made to poor children are rarely fulfilled. In the text, the authors casual promise to
build a school for ragpickers is left unfulfilled, reflecting societys shallow concern. Such promises are
often made out of pity rather than commitment. The poor are forgotten soon after they are noticed.
Systemic neglect, lack of accountability, and deep-rooted social inequality result in broken hopes
and dreams for countless children like Saheb.
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Several powerful forces trap the bangle workers of Firozabad in a cycle of poverty. These include
exploitative middlemen, corrupt politicians, and indifferent officials who all profit from their misery.
Tradition forces children to follow their parents into the same hazardous work. Lack of education,
fear of police, and absence of reforms mean generations continue to suffer. Together, these social
and economic barriers kill ambition and enslave the workers in silent suffering.
Talking About the Text
1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Mukesh can realise his dream of becoming a motor mechanic through determination, courage, and
hard work. Unlike others in Firozabad, he dares to dream beyond the world of bangles. With training,
support, and perhaps some education, he can break free from his inherited occupation. His strong
will is his greatest strength. If the right opportunities are given and the social system supports him,
he can achieve what others around him never even dared to imagine.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
The glass bangle industry is extremely hazardous. Workers, including children, sit in dark,
ill-ventilated rooms near hot furnaces. Constant exposure to intense heat and glass particles causes
health issues like lung diseases and blindness. They work without protective gear or medical help.
Children lose their eyesight even before adulthood. These inhuman conditions take a toll not just on
their bodies but also on their dreams, leaving them trapped in an endless cycle of pain and poverty.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Child labour must be eliminated because it deprives children of their right to education, play, and a
healthy life. It stunts their physical, mental, and emotional growth. Children are forced into
exploitative work due to poverty and lack of awareness. To stop it, strict laws should be enforced,
education should be made accessible, and families should be supported economically. NGOs,
government, and society must work together to restore childhoods lost to labour and give every child
a fair chance.
