-Anees Jung
Text:
Please tap on the image once to get a more sharper and legible copy of the book.
Summary:
The lesson 'Lost Spring' by Anees Jung deals at length with the interactions with childern from the underprivileged backgrounds.She simply describes their aspiring dreams and the poor conditions in which they live in.The accounts of these children are quite touching and provokes your thoughts.The author has described two of her encounters in the lesson and her interaction with them.Through these interactions,she highlights the plight of the street children.
The first encounter is with a boy named Saheb-e-Alam who is a rag picker.He had migrated from Bangladesh in 1971 and lives in Seemapuri in Delhi.These children look for 'valuables' in the garbage-things like coin or torn shoes which are as precious as 'Gold' for them.They could barely manage some food for themselves and other basic things like identity,education,shoes and sports are their unfulfilled dreams.Their parents were also into the same job.
However,one day he noticed Alam holding the steel can and going towards a milk booth.The author found that he had got a job at a tea stall nearby.Alam was happy he would get a eight hundred rupees a month and all his meals.The writer noticed that Saheb had lost his freedom of being his own master which he enjoyed as a rag picker.
The second boy named Mukesh who actually belonged to a family of bangle makers in Firozabad.The boy had a dream of becoming a car mechanic.On the other hand,his family was engaged in bangle-making.However,they were harmed physically during the process and they hardly earned any money from him.Many of them lose their eyesight because of it.
However,none of his family members dared to dreamt of doing something else due to the police and middleman.The elders of the family were content,that they have been able to built a house for themselves.Mukesh,on the other hand,wanted to be a car mechanic.He couldn't dream any further because all he has seen his life are cars.His viewpoint had been restricted to Firozabad only.
Difficult Words:
1)Ragpickers:A person who collects and sells rags.
2)Hums:(Here)To tell something in a low voice.
3)Gatekeeper:An attendent employed to control who goes through a gate.
4)Canister:A round or cylindrical container used to store food items.
5)Mirage:An optical illusion caused by atmospherical conditions.
6)Looms:Appear as a vague form.
7)Furnaces:An enclosed structure in which material can be heated to a very high temperature.
8)Dingy:Gloomy and drab.
9)Slog:Work hard over a period of time.
10)Hovels:A small squalid or simply constructed dwelling.
11)Primeval:Strongly instictive and unreasoning.
12)Shack:A type of small hand-constructed hat.
13)Scrounging:Seek to obtain at the expense others.
14)Karam:An action or thing that someone does.
15)Lineage:Direct descent from an ancestor.
16)Unkempt:Having an untidy or dishevelled appearance.
17)Shanty:A small crudely built shack.
18)Drab:Drearily dull.
19)Sanctity:The state or quality of being holy.
20)Mind-Numbing:So extreme or intense as to prevent normal thought.
21)Soldering:A process by which 2 or more metals are joined.
22)Glibly:In a way that is confident.
23)Squatters:A person who unlawfully occupies an unhabitated land.
About Author:
Annes Jung (Born 1944) is an Indian author, journalist and columnist for newspapers in India and abroad.Shewas actually born in Rourkela,Odisha.However,her origin is from an aristocratic family in Hyderabad.She has done her masters from the University of Michigan.
NCERT Questions:
A)Understanding the Text.
1)There are various reasons which force the people living in villages migrate to cities.The primary reason is for the search of better opportunities,a better life and educational prospects.Chlidren in the cities can also be grew in a better manner.
2)Yes,I completely agree that the promises made to poor children are rarely fulfilled.In the story,the narrator asked a ragpicker boy named Saheb if he would attend a school which she would open.She had no serious intention to open a school but the boy thought it to be true.Later,he even asked the narrator if she would be soon ready with her school which signifies that he was hopeful of getting into a school.This just illustrates the bigger picture of how nobody listens to the poor people and only make hollow promises are made to them.
3)The writer,according to her,the bangle makers of Firozabad are poverty-stricken.They are burdened by the fact that the caste in which they are born demands them to continue with the profession of bangle-making.Further on,the society has formed a harsh circle around them.The moneylenders,middleman,policemen,
lawkeepers,officers and politician altogether form a barrier around them and tie them in the grip of poverty which they are unable to escape.
B)Talking about the Text.
1)Mukesh belonged to a family of bangle-makers but has dared to dream and wanted to become a motor mechanic.He wanted to drive cars too.He took the initial step by aspiring to do something different.In my opinion,Mukesh can certainly realise his dream with determination,hardwork and confidence in himself.
2)There are numerous health-hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.The poor bangle makers in Firozabad work in unhealthy conditions.The furnaces have very high temperatures and no ventilation.Hence,they are prone to ailments like lung cancer.While polishing the bangles,the dust from the bangles harms their vision and they are always at the risk of losing their eyesight.They remain in dark for long period of times and are unable to see during the daytime.
3)To force a child to work is a crime.This is down in order to prevent exploitation of children.Children lose their childhood in the process.They are also excluded from getting educated.And because of the hazardous environment at those workplaces,these children start suffering from various ailments at an young age.Their parents also overlook these setbacks as they need money for their survival.
•The government needs to be proactive and take all the necessary measures to check child labour.Unless the law is enforced strictly,these children will have their life at stake.
📍📍📍
Disclaimer:
No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system of transmitted,in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying,recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
#Hey!This is an in-depth piece of genuine writing by EduRankers' team.There may be some inadvertent typing mistakes.Please report and we will definitely get back to you.Ask your queries in the comments section.Keep hustling!
Links:
Helpful
ReplyDelete