NCERT Solutions Class 12 English Lost Spring

About the Author

Anees Jung: Born in Rourkela, India, 1964.

Background: Raised in Hyderabad, India, amidst a family of writers.

Career: Renowned writer, editor, columnist, with works analyzing societal issues.

Works: Authored several books, including "Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood."

Excerpt Analysis

Context: Explores poverty's impact on children, focusing on their daily struggles.

Key Expressions:

• Looking for perpetual state of poverty: Children endlessly search for valuables in garbage, indicative of their ongoing destitution.
• Slog their daylight hours in dark hutments: Children toil in dimly lit shacks throughout the day, highlighting their harsh living conditions.
• Roof over his head: Symbolizes the minimal shelter provided, despite its inadequacy.
• Imposed the baggage on the child: Reflects the burdens passed down from generations, hindering progress.
• “Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage”: Illustrates the meager finds celebrated amidst poverty.

Short Questions:

1. What is the central theme of "Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood"?
2. Describe the living conditions of the children in the excerpt.
3. Who is Saheb, and what is his daily struggle?
4. Explain the significance of finding valuables in the garbage for the children.
5. How does Mukesh express his aspirations for the future?
6. What is the significance of the bangle-making industry in Firozabad?
7. How does the author highlight the impact of poverty on education in the excerpt?
8. Discuss the role of tradition in perpetuating poverty in the story.
9. What challenges do the children in the story face in breaking free from the cycle of poverty?
10. How does the author portray resilience amidst adversity in "Lost Spring"?

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What is the primary occupation of the families in Firozabad?
   • A) Agriculture
   • B) Bangle-making
   • C) Carpentry
   • D) Tailoring
   Answer: B) Bangle-making
2. What does the phrase "slog their daylight hours" imply?
   • A) Children work during the day.
   • B) Children play during the day.
   • C) Children study during the day.
   • D) Children sleep during the day.
   Answer: A) Children work during the day.
3. Why do children scavenge garbage in the story?
   • A) For entertainment
   • B) To find food
   • C) To find valuables
   • D) To meet friends
   Answer: C) To find valuables
4. What does Mukesh aspire to become?
   • A) A farmer
   • B) A bangle-maker
   • C) A motor mechanic
   • D) A teacher
   Answer: C) A motor mechanic
5. How does the author illustrate the significance of finding valuables in the garbage for the children?
   • A) Through their celebrations and laughter
   • B) Through their complaints and frustrations
   • C) Through their dreams and aspirations
   • D) Through their silence and indifference
   Answer: A) Through their celebrations and laughter

Some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities include environmental factors such as natural disasters like storms that sweep away fields and homes, as mentioned in the excerpt. Economic factors like poverty and lack of employment opportunities in rural areas also drive people to seek better prospects in urban areas. Additionally, social factors such as lack of access to education and basic amenities in villages push families to migrate to cities in search of a better quality of life. People migrate from villages to cities in search of livelihood. Their fields fail to provide them means of survival. Cities provide employment, jobs or other means of getting food. The problem in case of the poor is to feed the hungry members. Survival is of primary concern.

Challenges in Keeping Promises to Poor Children

1. Lack of Resources: Many promises made to poor children, such as starting a school or providing basic amenities, require significant resources and infrastructure. However, the lack of resources in impoverished areas often prevents these promises from being fulfilled.
2. Systemic Neglect: Poor communities often face systemic neglect from authorities, leading to a lack of investment in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. As a result, promises made to improve the lives of poor children may be disregarded or forgotten by policymakers and officials.
3. Cyclical Poverty: The cycle of poverty perpetuates itself, making it difficult for promises to be kept. Poor families struggle to break free from poverty due to limited access to education and employment opportunities, leading to a lack of resources to fulfill promises made to their children.
4. Unreliable Support Systems: Inadequate support systems and social safety nets for poor families contribute to the failure of promises made to children. Without sufficient support, initiatives aimed at improving the lives of poor children may falter or be abandoned.
5. Social and Cultural Barriers: Social and cultural barriers, such as caste-based discrimination and traditional norms, may hinder efforts to fulfill promises made to poor children. These barriers perpetuate inequality and prevent marginalized communities from accessing resources and opportunities.
6. Yes, promises made to poor children are often broken. They offer false hope for a better, trouble-free life. Many individuals make such promises because they don't want to shatter a child's dreams.
7. In the author's narrative, a promise is made to Saheb that a school will be built for him. However, it becomes apparent later that the promise was made without genuine intent to follow through. It's only after some time that the author recognizes this mistake and feels ashamed of it.

Overall, the incidents narrated in the text reflect the harsh realities faced by poor children, where promises made to improve their lives are often unfulfilled due to systemic neglect, lack of resources, and social barriers.

Forces Keeping Workers in Poverty in Firozabad's Bangle Industry

1. Injustices such as the cruel actions of sahukars, middlemen, policemen, law enforcers, bureaucrats, and politicians contribute to driving workers into poverty. Additionally, the stigma associated with the caste they are born into further hinders their ability to pursue a better life. The community's efforts to overcome these challenges are impeded by a lack of vision and leadership.
2. Exploitative Labor Practices: The workers, including children, are often subjected to exploitative labor practices, such as low wages and hazardous working conditions, which perpetuate their economic hardship.
3. Lack of Education: Many children are forced to work in the bangle industry instead of attending school, depriving them of the opportunity to acquire skills and education that could help them break the cycle of poverty.
4. Caste-based Occupational Stereotypes: The bangle-making industry is often associated with specific castes, leading to social and economic marginalization of those involved. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty by limiting opportunities for upward mobility.
5. Absence of Alternative Livelihoods: The lack of alternative employment opportunities in Firozabad forces workers to remain trapped in the bangle industry, as they have few options for earning a living wage elsewhere.
6. Exploitation by Middlemen: Middlemen in the industry exploit the workers by paying them meager wages for their labor while reaping significant profits themselves, further exacerbating the economic inequality and poverty among the workers.

Vocabulary List

1. Perpetual: Continuing indefinitely or indefinitely recurring.
   (Hindi: निरंतर)
2. Slog: To work hard and diligently, especially for an extended period.
   (Hindi: मेहनत करना)
3. Exploitation: The action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work or labor.
   (Hindi: शोषण)
4. Adversity: Difficulties or misfortune, especially when faced with unfavorable circumstances.
   (Hindi: विपत्ति)
5. Resilience: The ability to recover quickly from difficulties or setbacks.
   (Hindi: प्रतिरोधीता)
6. Aspirations: Strong desires or ambitions to achieve something great or significant.
   (Hindi: आकांक्षाएँ)
7. Marginalization: The process of making a person or group feel less important or relegated to a lower social standing.
   (Hindi: अलगाव)
8. Vision: The ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.
   (Hindi: दृष्टि)
9. Infrastructure: The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society.
   (Hindi: बुनियादी ढांचा)
10. Empowerment: The process of giving someone the authority or power to do something.
    (Hindi: सशक्तिकरण)
11. Hazards: Potential sources of danger or harm.
    (Hindi: खतरे)
12. Deprivation: The lack or denial of something considered to be a necessity.
    (Hindi: अभाव)
13. Penalties: Punishments imposed for breaking a rule, law, or agreement.
    (Hindi: दंड)
14. Enforcement: The act of ensuring compliance with laws, regulations, or rules.
    (Hindi: प्रवर्तन)
15. Frameworks: Basic structures or systems that provide support or guidance.
    (Hindi: ढांचा)
16. Prohibition: The act of forbidding something by law or authority.
    (Hindi: प्रतिबंध)
17. Violators: Those who break or fail to comply with laws, regulations, or rules.
    (Hindi: उल्लंघक)
18. Collaboration: Working together with others toward a common goal or purpose.
    (Hindi: सहयोग)
19. Eradicating: Completely destroying or eliminating something undesirable or harmful.
    (Hindi: समाप्त करना)
20. Safeguarding: Protecting or ensuring the safety and well-being of someone or something.
    (Hindi: सुरक्षित रखना)