Hello Friends
Today we will discuss the first part of Second chapter of your text book "Flamingo"
Lost Spring by Anees Jung
(Part I - ‘Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage’)
About the Author :
Anees
Jung (1964) was born in Rourkela and received her education in Hyderabad &
in the USA. Her parents were both writers. Anees Jung began her career as a
writer in India. She has been an editor and columnist for major newspapers in
India and abroad, and has authored several books.This chapter is an excerpt
from her book titled Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood
Theme of “Lost Spring” By Anees Jung
The author has depicted the parable of grinding
poverty and traditions through the depiction of the lives of people, especially
children in two poverty stricken areas Seemapuri and Firozabad. The main
concern of the author is highlight the exploitation of children and their childhood.
Their dreams loom like a fantasy in their eyes but they are bound at the hands
of poverty or tradition. Two such stories have been discussed here.
The first
story titled ‘Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage’ is of a ragpicker
boy Saheb-e-Alam, who is encountered by the author for 4 times in the chapter. Almost
10000 ragpickers live in Seemapuri which is situated at the periphery of Delhi.
They are migrants from Dhaka, Bangladesh. In search of livelihood, shelter and
especially food they came to India and settled in Seemapuri. They lost their
homes and green fields in Dhaka in storms. They do not have their identity
cards but have ration cards and names in the voter list so as to procure grain.
Food is more important for them than the identity. Their means of survival is
ragpicking and children are also being engaged in it. Both have different
meanings of Garbage. For elders it is their means of survival and for children
it is wrapped in wonder as they find one rupee or sometimes 10 rupee note in
the garbage leading to a continuous search for more. Saheb is one such boy
scrounging the garbage in search of gold. He don’t go to school (but he is
eager to go if there is school), don’t wear chappals (but want shoes), wish to
play tennis (go to the tennis court) & at last working in a tea stall for
mere 800 Rs. and his meals. In her initial 3 meetings with Saheb, author notices
one common fact which is missing in the last one that he is not his own master
now. He is working under the owner of the tea stall. Author has depicted Seemapuri
as structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage,
drainage and running water. The people live here are squatters and have no job.
They made rag-picking as a fine art, their daily bread. In such poignant
delineations author tries to depict the lives of the rag pickers of Seemapuri
and raises a question mark on the policy makers whose words and deeds don’t
match with each other and such poverty stricken children are still ringing in
every society.
Let's revise through mindmap :
Now download the original text for study :
|
Word |
Meaning |
|
Encounter |
Casual
meeting |
|
Scrounging |
Swipe;
to search about and turn up something needed from whatever source is
available. |
|
Distant |
Faint |
|
Mutter |
Say
something in a low or barely audible voice |
|
Hollow |
Without
real significance or value; Insincere |
|
Embarrassed |
Feel
ashamed |
|
Abound |
Exist
in large number |
|
Bleak |
Charmless,
cold and miserable |
|
Shuffles |
Move
around |
|
Perpetual |
Never
ending |
|
Desolation |
State
of complete destruction |
|
Panting |
Breathing
with short, quick breath; out of breath |
|
Acquaintance |
Knowledge
or experience of something |
|
Periphery |
Outer
limit / edge of |
|
Metaphorically |
In
a manner of metaphor (It’s a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is
applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.) |
|
Squatters |
Person
who occupies a place unlawfully |
|
Wilderness |
Uninhabited/
neglected / abandoned area. |
|
Devoid |
Entirely
lacking or free from |
|
Sewage |
Waste
water and excrement |
|
Tattered |
Old
and torn |
|
Transit |
Temporary
/ which could be shifted from one place to other. |
|
Proposition |
Suggested
scheme / plan of action e.g. in business context. |
|
Wrapped |
Covered |
|
Means |
Source |
Let's revise Part - I of Lost Spring through mindmap :
View Video & Power Point Presentation "Lost Spring" Part - I for more clarification :
Questions from previous years' CBSE papers "Lost Spring" Part - I :
Q.
1 Garbage to them is gold. Why does the author say so about the rag
pickers? CBSE AI 2008-3 (2M), CBSE AI
2019 1-2-1 (3M)
Garbage for
the ragpickers of Seemapuri is their daily bread. Sometimes they find a ten
rupee note or a silver coin. For elders it is a means of survital while for
children it is wrapped in wonder.
Q.
2 What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents ?
CBSE AI 2015
For
elders – means of survival
For
children – wrapped in wonder / they expect to get a coin / gives them the hope
of finding more
Q.
3 What does the reference to chappals in ‘Lost Spring’ tell us about the
economic condition of the rag pickers ? CBSE AI 2016 (3 M)
The poor
ragpickers have no money to buy chappals. Children are also engaged in earning as
rag pickers. The life of people is hand-to-mouth. They have been exploited,
have no work to do, even no house to live in. All this is because of the
negligency and apathy of the affluent people in society. (any 2)
Q.
4 “For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of
survival.” What kind of life do the rag-pickers of Seemapuri lead ? CBSE AI
2017 (6M)
-life of misery & perpetual
poverty
-live in
structures of mud with roofs of tin & tarpaulin
-lack of
opportunities like education
-devoid of
sewage, drainage or running water
-ration cards
that get their names on voters’ list and enable them to buy grain.
-food is more
important than identity
-rag picking
is prime occupation/their daily bread
-one rupee
note or coin in garbage sustains hopes/happiness/thrill
( any other
relevant point) (any three)
Q.
5 “Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it,
metaphorically.” Explain. CBSE AI 2019 1-1-1 (6M)
- situated at
the outskirts of Delhi,
stands a contrast
to it,
inhabited by
refugees from Dhaka,
rag pickers,
even children
partners in survival,
place lacks
basic amenities
– running
water, drainage system, mud houses with tarpaulin / tin roofs
while Delhi –
city of all comforts, rich / well off inhabitants.
Q. 6 What kind of life did children living in Seemapuri lead ? CBSE AI 2019 1-1-3 (6M)
- migrants
from Dhaka,
rag pickers,
scrounging in
garbage dumps,
partners in
survival,
have no access
to schooling,
miserable
life, live in squalid condition, barefooted,
yet retain
childhood innocence, a sense of wonder, carefree children
Q.
7 Describe the irony in Saheb’s name. CBSE AI 2019 1-3-1 (3M)
- Saheb-e-Alam-Lord of the Universe
-lives as a deprived, poor rag picker
- roams the streets barefoot
Q.
8 What change did Saheb feel working at the tea shop ? CBSE AI 2019 1-3-2 (3M)
- no longer
happy
- no longer
his own master
- lost the
carefree look
- earned
rupees eight hundred but lost his freedom
- found
canister heavier than the plastic bag
- at the beck
and call of the tea stall owner
(any two)
Q.
9 Describe the life led by the migrants from Bangladesh who are living in Seemapuri.
CBSE AI 2019 1-5-2 (6M)
Seemapuri
- structures
of mud with roofs of tin and tarpaulin
- devoid of
sewage, drainage or running water
- house to
10,000 rag pickers
- no identity
- have ration
cards that get their names on the voter list
- a life of
squalor devoid of all basic amenities
(any three)
No comments:
Post a Comment