Sishya School – Hosur
Class: 12 Lost Spring – Question Bank Sub: English
Overview of the lesson
Part – 1
Focuses on Saheb, a young ragpicker from Seemapuri, who migrated from Dhaka after storms
destroyed his home. He now scours garbage heaps in Delhi for survival.
Garbage is symbolic—for children like Saheb, it holds hope and wonder; for adults, it’s a means of
survival.
Poverty strips away childhood: Saheb dreams of going to school, but the harsh reality of hunger
and lack of opportunity keeps him working.
Barefoot children are a recurring image, with the author questioning whether it’s truly tradition or
just a way to normalize poverty.
Saheb’s brief employment at a tea stall brings a small income but takes away his freedom—he’s no
longer his own master, and the steel canister he carries feels heavier than his old plastic bag.
The title “Lost Spring” metaphorically captures the loss of childhood joys and innocence due to
grinding poverty and social neglect.
Part – 2
Centers on Mukesh, a boy from Firozabad, born into a family of bangle-makers. Despite
generations trapped in this trade, he dares to dream of becoming a motor mechanic.
Firozabad’s bangle industry is a symbol of generational entrapment—children work in dark,
suffocating conditions, often losing their eyesight, unaware that child labor is illegal.
Poverty and tradition form a vicious cycle: families believe they are destined to make bangles, and
any attempt to break free is met with fear of police and systemic oppression.
The burden of caste and lineage is heavy—elders accept their fate, while the younger generation,
like Mukesh, begins to question it.
The author visits Mukesh’s home, witnessing the fragile dignity of his family, especially the women
who silently endure hunger and hardship.
Mukesh’s quiet rebellion—his determination to walk to a garage far from home to learn mechanics
—offers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape.
Section A
1. Describe Seemapuri, and why do ragpickers live there?
Seemapuri is a settlement on the outskirts of Delhi, inhabited by thousands of ragpickers who had
migrated from Bangladesh. They live in extreme poverty, without proper sanitation or basic
amenities, surviving by sorting through garbage for anything valuable.
2. "Garbage to them is gold." Explain with reference to the context.
Garbage to the elders is gold as it helps them earning their daily bread. It means a roof over their
heads. For them it is a means of survival. But for the children it is even more. For them, it is a thing
wrapped in wonder as they sometimes find a silver coin or a ten rupee note in the garbage. They find
enough reason to scrounge through the garbage cans.
3. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
The narrator found that children across the country walk barefoot in cities and on village roads. It is
not lack of money always, but a tradition to stay barefoot. But the narrator wonders about the fact
that the children are walking barefoot to explain away a perpetual state of poverty.
4. What does garbage mean to the adults and the children of Seemapuri?
The adults view garbage as a means of survival from their cash-strapped life. They can use
whatever stray coins come on their way to, help them and their families survive.
On the other hand, the children view garbage like a treasure hunt where they desperately forage
(search) through garbage on subsequent days to find a variety of valuables.
5. What are the living conditions in Mukesh’s neighbourhood and what do they indicate about his way
of life?
Mukesh lives in a poor and unhygienic neighbourhood. The narrow lanes stink, as they are filled
with garbage. The houses resemble broken-down hovels, with crumbling walls, unstable doors, and
no windows for ventilation. The living spaces are so cramped that humans and animals are forced to
share them. These conditions reflect the extreme poverty and hardships faced by the community.
6. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
The bangle makers face many problems in the glass industry. They have to work in the dingy cells
without air and light, in the high temperature of the furnace. The dust from polishing the bangles is
injurious to eyes. They often lose their eyesight before they become adults. Their eyes are more
adjusted to the dark than to the light outside.
7. Why does the author say that the bangle makers are caught in a vicious web?
Certain forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty. These
include the money lenders, the middlemen, the policeman, the law keepers, the bureaucrats and
politicians. They dictate their will to get their work done cheaply and impose a heavy burden on
children.
8. ‘She still has bangles on her wrist but no light in her eyes”. What exactly does the author want to
convey through this?
She is an elderly woman who had become a bride long ago. Since her husband, an old man is still
alive, she still has bangles on her wrist. She has, however, not enjoyed even one full meal in her
entire lifetime. So, there is no light in her eyes. SThey seem to have lost their shine/glow. This is
just a comment on the abject poverty and helplessness of the bangle-makers.
9. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Mukesh belongs to a poor family of bangle-makers. But his attitude is very different from his
family. He wants to break the family tradition of bangle making. He is daring and determined. He
has hopes and dreams. He wants to be a motor mechanic.
10. How do you think the author’s life might have been impacted after her interactions with the children
and their families mentioned in ‘Lost Spring’?
The author might have become highly touched by the despicable (terrible) life which the slum
children and their families were living. They live under unimaginable circumstances and still get
along with drudgeries of life without giving up. So the author might have also thought about
extending her help for the upliftment of these slum children with some charity work or by
mobilizing human resources to donate money and uplift the deplorable lifestyle of these slum
people.
Long Answer Type Question
1. Lost Spring” highlights the grim reality of child labour and the loss of childhood dreams. How can education
and social awareness help break the cycle of poverty and exploitation depicted in the lives of Saheb and
Mukesh? Discuss with reference to the story and your own understanding of social responsibility.
Empathy and Human Dignity: The story urges us to see beyond statistics and recognize the
individual humanity of children like Saheb and Mukesh. Their dreams, however fragile, deserve
respect and support.
Breaking the Cycle of Injustice: The narrative highlights how systemic exploitation—through caste,
poverty, and corrupt power structures—traps generations. Social awareness and collective action
are essential to dismantle these barriers.
Role of Youth and Hope: Mukesh’s quiet determination to become a motor mechanic symbolizes
the spark of change. His courage to dream differently shows that even in bleak circumstances, hope
can survive.
Importance of Policy and Community Support: Beyond individual efforts, the story calls for
structural reforms—access to quality education, vocational training, and protection from child
labour—to create real opportunities.
