NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 Lost Spring
Summary of Class 12 English Chapter 2 Lost Spring
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Important Questions for Class 12 English Chapte 2
Page No. 16
Question 1:
What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Answer
Saheb is looking for gold in the garbage dumps. He is in the authoress Anees Jung’s neighbourhood in Delhi, where he works as a ragpicker. He has come from Dhaka, Bangladesh, where his home and the green fields around it were swept away in many storms.
Question 2:
What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Answer
The author explains that most of the ragpicker children live in perpetual poverty and cannot afford shoes or slippers. While some people say that going barefoot is a tradition, the author believes that this is only an excuse to hide their extreme poverty. Therefore, most children like Saheb remain barefoot because they are too poor to buy footwear.
Question 3:
Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
Answer
No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. Although he earns ₹800 a month and gets all his meals, his face has lost its carefree look. He now carries a steel canister that seems heavier than the plastic bag he used to carry. Earlier, the bag was his own, but now the canister belongs to the shop-owner. Saheb is no longer his own master.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 Lost Spring
Page No. 19
Question 1:
What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Answer
The city of Firozabad is famous for its glass-blowing industry and the making of glass bangles. Every other family in the city is engaged in making bangles, and generations of families have been involved in this traditional occupation.
Question 2:
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer
The workers in the glass bangle industry have to work in very unhealthy conditions in dingy cells without air and light. They do not get daylight, and the dust and powder from polishing the bangles damage their eyes, often causing loss of eyesight even before they become adults.
Question 3:
How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Answer
Mukesh’s attitude is different because he refuses to accept the family tradition of making bangles. He has decided to become a motor mechanic and wants to break away from the vicious circle of poverty and exploitation. In contrast, his family believes that their fate is fixed, accepts bangle-making as their destiny, and continues the same profession generation after generation.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 Lost Spring
Understanding the Text
Question 1:
What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Answer
Some of the main reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities are:
(1) Poverty and unemployment in villages.
(2) Natural disasters such as floods, storms, and droughts.
(3) Lack of land and means of livelihood.
(4) The hope of getting better jobs and higher income in cities.
(5) Better facilities such as education, healthcare, and transport.
(6) The desire for a better standard of living for themselves and their families.
Question 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?
Answer
Yes, I agree that promises made to poor children are often not kept. In the lesson, the author casually tells Saheb that she will start a school if there is none in his neighbourhood, but nothing happens. Such promises are often made without real intention or effort to fulfil them. Poverty, lack of resources, government neglect, and society’s indifference prevent poor children from getting proper education and opportunities. As a result, they continue to live and work in difficult conditions.
Question 3:
What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Answer
The workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad remain poor because they are exploited by sahukars (moneylenders), middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats, and politicians. They work for low wages in unhealthy conditions, remain trapped in debt, and lack education and awareness. Fear of harassment and jail prevents them from organising themselves or fighting for their rights. As a result, they accept poverty and exploitation as a part of their destiny.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 Lost Spring
Talking about the Text
Question 1:
How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Answer
Mukesh can realise his dream through determination, hard work, and proper training. He should continue learning the work of a motor mechanic in a garage and avoid returning to the family profession of bangle-making. With support, education, and opportunities, he can become a skilled mechanic, earn a better living, and break free from the cycle of poverty and exploitation.
Question 2:
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer
The workers in the glass bangles industry have to work in very unhealthy conditions. They work in dingy cells without air and light and do not get any daylight. The dust from polishing the bangles damages their eyes, and many workers lose their eyesight even before they become adults. They also suffer from poor health due to continuous work in such dangerous conditions.
Question 3:
Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer
Child labour should be eliminated because it deprives children of education, childhood, and a better future. Children working in dangerous conditions, like the glass furnaces of Firozabad, suffer from health problems and exploitation.
Child labour can be eliminated by:
(1) Providing free and quality education to all children.
(2) Creating awareness among parents and society.
(3) Strictly implementing laws against child labour.
(4) Helping poor families with employment and financial support so that children do not have to work.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 Lost Spring
