The Lost Spring Chapter 2

(B) Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why did ‘Anees Jung’ ask Saheb about the school? What was its impact on Saheb?

Ans. Anees Jung asked Saheb about school because she wanted him to study and live a better life. Her words filled Saheb with hope. He looked excited because the idea of school gave him a new dream for the future.

2. Why did Saheb and other ragpickers not wear chappals? What excuse did they give for it?

Ans. Saheb and other ragpickers remained barefoot due to poverty. They could not afford chappals. They said it was a tradition to stay barefoot. Some even said their mothers had forgotten to bring slippers from the village.

3. How many ragpickers used to live in Seemapuri, Delhi? How did they settle there?

Ans. About ten thousand ragpickers lived in Seemapuri. They came from Bangladesh in 1971 because of poverty and hunger. They settled on the outskirts of Delhi by building mud houses with roofs of tin and tarpaulin.

4. What was the meaning of garbage for children? What did they find in it?

Ans. For ragpicker children, garbage was like gold. It was a source of food and money. Sometimes they found coins or currency notes in it. Such discoveries gave them happiness, hope and excitement.

5. Why did Saheb join the job at milk booth? What was he paid for his service?

Ans. Saheb joined the milk booth job to earn regular money and support his family. He was paid eight hundred rupees every month. Besides this, he also received all his meals free of cost.

6. Who was Mukesh? Where did he belong and what was his ambition?

Ans. Mukesh was a poor boy from Firozabad. He belonged to a family of bangle makers. Unlike others, he wanted to become a motor mechanic and drive a car instead of continuing the family profession.

7. Why did Mukesh volunteer to take the narrator home? Who were there in the home?

Ans. Mukesh volunteered to take the narrator home because he was polite and helpful. In his house lived his grandmother, father, mother and other family members. All of them were connected with the bangle-making work.

8. “It is his Karam, his destiny.” Who said this and why?

Ans. Mukesh’s grandmother said these words about the bangle makers. She believed that making bangles and living in poverty was their fate. They had accepted suffering as a part of their life and destiny.

9. What do the bangles symbolise in ‘Lost Spring’? What is the role of bangle makers of Firozabad?

Ans. Bangles symbolise Indian culture, womanhood and marriage. The bangle makers of Firozabad make beautiful glass bangles worn by women all over India. Their hard work keeps this traditional art alive despite poverty.

10. Why could the bangle makers not organise themselves into a co-operative? What do they face if they do so?

Ans. The bangle makers were poor, weak and uneducated. Middlemen controlled them completely. If they tried to organise themselves into a co-operative, they faced threats, police harassment and loss of work.

11. What was the importance of garbage for children in Seemapuri?

Ans. Garbage was very important for the children of Seemapuri because it helped them survive. Ragpicking provided them food and money. It was their only source of livelihood and hope for a better day.

12. What explanation does the author offer for children not wearing footwear?

Ans. The author says that barefoot walking was not a tradition but a sign of poverty. The children remained barefoot because their parents were too poor to buy shoes or slippers for them.

13. Why did children stay barefoot in Seemapuri?

Ans. The children of Seemapuri stayed barefoot because they were extremely poor. Their families struggled even for food. Buying shoes or slippers was beyond their means, so the children moved around without footwear.

14. What did Mukesh want to become in life?

Ans. Mukesh wanted to become a motor mechanic in life. He dreamed of driving a car and living independently. He did not want to continue the traditional work of bangle making like his family members.

15. What do the inhabitants of Seemapuri do for their survival?

Ans. The inhabitants of Seemapuri survive mainly by ragpicking. They collect garbage from streets and dustbins and sell useful items to earn money. This hard work helps them feed their families.

16. Describe the life of ragpickers at Seemapuri.

Ans. The ragpickers of Seemapuri live in poverty and dirty surroundings. Children search garbage for survival instead of going to school. They lack proper food, clothes and houses. Their life is full of struggle and hardship.

17. Where is Seemapuri situated?

Ans. Seemapuri is situated on the outskirts of Delhi. It is a slum area inhabited mainly by poor ragpickers who migrated there from Bangladesh in search of food and work.

18. What does garbage mean to the elderly people?

Ans. For the elderly people, garbage means a source of income. It helps them earn money and support their families. Ragpicking is their only means of livelihood and survival.

19. What was the utility of garbage for the poor children in Seemapuri?

Ans. Garbage was useful for poor children because it provided food and money. Sometimes they found valuable things in it. It helped them and their families survive in poverty.

20. What did the children find in garbage?

Ans. The children sometimes found coins, currency notes, plastic items or other useful objects in garbage. Such things gave them joy and encouraged them to continue ragpicking.

21. Where did the squatters, living at the periphery of Delhi, come from?

Ans. The squatters living at the outskirts of Delhi came from Bangladesh. They migrated to India in search of food, shelter and better opportunities for survival.

22. Why did Saheb’s family migrate to India?

Ans. Saheb’s family migrated to India because their fields in Bangladesh no longer produced enough food. Hunger and poverty forced them to leave their homeland and settle in Seemapuri, Delhi.

23. “If at the end of the day…” What meaning do you infer from this statement?

Ans. This statement shows the painful poverty of the migrants. They preferred city life because at least they could earn food there. In their villages, even hard work failed to provide enough grain.

(C) Long Answer Type Questions

1. Who was Saheb? What was the plight that compelled him to wander in the streets of Delhi for ragpicking?

Ans. Saheb was a poor ragpicker from Bangladesh. His family came to Delhi because their fields gave no grain and they suffered from hunger. They settled in Seemapuri, where thousands of poor people lived in huts. Saheb wandered through the streets collecting garbage to earn money for his family. He had no school, proper home or happy childhood. Poverty forced him to become a ragpicker at a very young age.

2. Children like Saheb often go for private jobs at a very small age. Is this their final destiny? How can such situation be overcome?

Ans. No, this is not their final destiny. Children like Saheb work because of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. They should receive free education, proper food and government support. Child labour must be strictly stopped. Society should help poor families and create awareness about education. If children get opportunities and guidance, they can build a bright future and live a respectable life instead of doing labour in childhood.

3. Who was Mukesh? What did he want to do in his life and what did he not want to follow?

Ans. Mukesh was a young boy from Firozabad belonging to a family of bangle makers. His family had been making bangles for generations. However, Mukesh wanted to change his life. He dreamed of becoming a motor mechanic and driving a car. He did not want to continue the traditional work of making bangles because it kept people poor and helpless. Mukesh was different because he had courage and hope for a better future.

4. What did the narrator notice in the locality where Mukesh lived? What was the condition of bangle makers?

Ans. The narrator saw dirty streets, broken houses and unhealthy surroundings in Mukesh’s locality. Almost every house was engaged in bangle making. The bangle makers worked near hot furnaces in dark rooms. Smoke and heat badly affected their eyes and health. They worked hard for long hours but earned very little money. Poverty, exploitation and child labour had made their lives miserable. Their condition showed pain, helplessness and lack of opportunities.

5. Every other house in Firozabad is engaged in glass industry… Explain the reasons and suggestions to overcome this situation.

Ans. The bangle makers of Firozabad remain poor because middlemen exploit them and pay very low wages. Most workers are illiterate and trapped in debt for generations. Child labour and unhealthy working conditions make their life worse. To improve their condition, the government should provide education, fair wages and proper working facilities. Strict laws should stop child labour and exploitation. People should also support skill development and employment opportunities for poor workers.

6. What is the vicious circle of middlemen? How are they trapped since the time of their forefathers? Can they get organised? If not, why?

Ans. The middlemen keep the bangle makers trapped in poverty and debt. The workers borrow money and become dependent on them for work. This cycle has continued for generations. They cannot organise themselves because they are poor, uneducated and afraid of police and middlemen. If they raise their voice, they face threats and harassment. Their weakness and fear stop them from breaking this cruel system and improving their condition.

7. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad?

Ans. Mukesh is different because he dares to dream of a better future. While other bangle makers accept poverty as their fate, Mukesh wants to become a motor mechanic. He does not wish to continue the traditional work of making bangles. He is hopeful, confident and determined to change his life. His dreams show courage and a strong desire to break the chain of poverty and exploitation.

8. Describe the deplorable plight of bangle makers.

Ans. The bangle makers of Firozabad live a miserable life. They work in dark and hot rooms near furnaces for long hours. Smoke and heat damage their eyes, and many lose their eyesight early. They earn very little money and remain trapped in debt. Poverty forces even children to work in the industry. Middlemen exploit them and keep them helpless. Their life is full of suffering, hard labour and hopelessness.

9. Describe the plight of ragpickers as depicted in the lesson ‘Lost Spring’.

Ans. The lesson ‘Lost Spring’ presents the painful life of ragpickers living in Seemapuri. They live in dirty huts without proper facilities. Children search garbage for food and money instead of going to school. Poverty forces them to work from childhood. They remain barefoot and unhealthy. Garbage becomes their means of survival and hope. Their childhood is lost in hunger, labour and suffering. The lesson highlights their helplessness and miserable condition.

10. Describe the life of people working in the glass bangle industry.

Ans. People working in the glass bangle industry live in poverty and unhealthy conditions. They work for long hours near hot furnaces in small dark rooms. The smoke and heat damage their eyes and health. They earn very little money despite hard work. Even children are forced to work in the industry. Middlemen exploit the workers and keep them trapped in debt. Their life is full of struggle, pain and helplessness.

11. What is the city of Firozabad famous for?

Ans. Firozabad is famous for its glass bangle industry. Beautiful coloured bangles are made there and sold all over India. Many families in the city are engaged in this traditional work. The city is known as the centre of glass bangle making. However, behind this famous industry lies the painful life of poor workers who suffer from poverty, exploitation and unhealthy working conditions.

              Summary All in One Universal Answer by Anoopsir91 

Ans. “Lost Spring” by Anees Jung describes the miserable life of ragpickers in Seemapuri and bangle makers in Firozabad. About ten thousand ragpickers live in Seemapuri on the outskirts of Delhi after migrating from Bangladesh due to poverty and hunger. Garbage is a source of food, money and hope for poor children who remain barefoot because they cannot afford footwear. Saheb, a ragpicker, later works at a milk booth for eight hundred rupees and free meals.

                          यहां से पैराग्राफ चेंज करें 

                         Summary Part 2

 Mukesh, a bangle maker’s son, dreams of becoming a motor mechanic instead of following the family profession. Bangles symbolise Indian culture and womanhood, yet the workers live in dark unhealthy rooms near hot furnaces. They remain trapped in the vicious circle of poverty, debt, middlemen, child labour, exploitation and lack of education for generations. Mukesh’s grandmother accepts it as their “Karam” or destiny. The chapter highlights social injustice, broken dreams and the need for education, freedom and better opportunities for poor children."

Published as on 16 May 2026

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