XII (ARTS) :: Chapter: 1 :: The Last Lesson

 Chapter: 1

 The Last Lesson 

1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Answer: Franz was expected to prepare a lesson on “participles”. M. Hamel, his teacher, had announced that he would question them on participles on that day. Franz did not know even the “first word” about them. He was expecting a scolding from M. Hamel on that day. Hence, he feared to face M. Hamel and go to school.

2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?

Answer: Franz noticed something unusual about the school on that day. When the school began previously, there used to be a great bustle. The noise could be heard out in the street. The opening and closing of desks and the lessons repeated loudly in unison made a lot of noise. But on that day everything was still and silent as on a Sunday morning. It was quite unusual and surprising.

3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?

Answer:  Every important news or public announcement was put upon the bulletin-board. For the last two years since German occupation, all their “bad news” had come from there. A new order from Berlin imposed German on the French speaking people of Alsace. A huge eager crowd gathered in front of the bulletin- board.

4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?

Answer: The order from Berlin caused a great dismay in the school that day. It upset all the students. M. Hamel, the class- teacher, was greatly agitated. Now onwards, the schools of Alsace and Lorraine would teach only German. It was their last lesson in French. From the next day they would be taught the language of their new masters.

5. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?

Answer:  Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel  and school  were totally changed now. The order from Berlin aroused patriotic feelings in him. He suddenly developed a strange fascination for his language and school. His books were his “old friends now”. He suddenly grew respect for M. Hamel. He even forgot all about his ruler. He also ignored how cranky Mr. Hamel was.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?

Answer: The order from Berlin imposes  German on the French speaking people of Alsace. It makes all the difference. The order arouses patriotic feelings among the people. Suddenly they realise how precious their language is to them. The people of Alsace were earlier indifferent to their language. But now they develop a new-found love for French. M. Hamel goes on to declare that French is “the most beautiful language in the world”. It is the clearest and the most logical language. Even the village elders seem to endorse M. Hamel’s views. They come and sit there on the back benches. In this way, they show their respect for their language that is theirs no more. All of them hate the foreign language, German, being imposed on the French speaking people. Their patriotic feelings unite them for the cause of French.

              Even Franz grows sentimental. This is his last lesson in French. He feels sorry for neglecting his lessons in French. Now he develops a craving for French and the teacher who taught it.

2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”. What could this mean?

Answer:-“The Last lesson” of Alphonse Daudet is set in the background of the Franco-Prussian War(1870-71). The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine fall into Prussian hands. Then comes an order from Berlin. They will teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. M. Hamel announces that “this is the last lesson” in French. Everyone is shocked. They will no more be taught in their own language. It is the most beautiful and logical language in the world. Patriotic feelings are aroused. Franz shows his dislike to German language. Franz sees pigeons cooing on the roof. He remarks sarcastically “will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”

    Franz’s remark is quite revealing. Powerful Germans have occupied the French speaking district of Alsace. They can impose German language on the French speaking people. But they can’t impose German on the pigeons who are cooing on the roof. They can enslave people of Alsace and Lorraine. But they can’t have any authority over their feelings. Nor can they compel pigeons cooing in German.

The Last Lesson :: Lesson Summary In English

Franz started for school very late that morning. He was afraid of being scolded because M. Hamel was to question them on participles, and he did not know the first word about them. He thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. The warm bright day, the chirping birds, and the Prussian soldiers drilling in the open field back of the sawmill were tempting. But he resisted the temptation and hurried off to school.

There was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board near the town-hall. Wachter, the blacksmith asked Franz not to go so fast. He assured the boy that he would get to his school in plenty of time. Usually there was a great bustle when the school began but that day everything was as quiet as Sunday morning.

Through the window Franz saw his classmates, already in their places and M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm. Franz opened the door and went in. He blushed and was frightened. M. Hamel very kindly asked him to go to his place.

Franz noticed that their teacher had put on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered. He wore these only on inspection and prize days. The village people were sitting quietly on the usually empty back benches. Everybody looked sad; and Hauser had brought an old primer.

M. Hamel said that it was the last lesson he would give them. Henceforth, only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master would come the next day. This was their last lesson of French. He wanted them to be very attentive.

Franz felt sorry that he had not learnt his lessons properly. The idea that M. Hamel was going away made the narrator forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was. Now Franz understood why M. Hamel had put on his fine Sunday clothes and why the old men of the village were sitting there. They had come to thank the master for his forty years’ faithful service and to show their respect for the country that was theirs no more.

M. Hamel asked Franz to recite, but he stood there silent. The teacher did not scold him. He confessed that his parents and he (the teacher) were at fault. Then he talked of the French language-the most beautiful language in the world—the clearest, the most logical. He asked them to guard it among them and never forget it. Their language was the key to their prison.

Then they had lesson in grammar and writing. The pigeons cooed very low on the roof. Franz thought if they would make even the pigeons sing in German. All the while M. Hamel was sitting motionless in his chair and gazing at one thing or the other. His sister was packing their trunks in the room above as they had to leave the country next day.

After writing, they had a lesson in history, and then the babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo, bu. Even old Hauser was crying. All at once the church-clock struck twelve and then the midday prayers. At the same moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under the windows. M. Hamel stood up. He wanted to speak but something choked him.

Then he took a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard as large as he could “Vive La France!” After this he stopped and leaned his head against the wall. Without a word, he made a gesture with his hand to indicate that the school was dismissed and they might go.

The Last Lesson Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
How was the scene in the school, on the morning of the last lesson, different from that on other days?
OR
How was M. Hamel’s class different the day Franz went late to school?
Answer:
Generally, there would be a great bustle, closing and shutting of desks, lessons repeated loudly in unison, rapping of the teachers’ ruler on the table, all of which could be heard out in the street. But that everything was quite different. There was no noise. All were in their seats, Franz walked in late and M. Hamel let him calmly. He then noticed that his sir was dressed in his best clothes and there were the elders of the village seated in the class. It was a bit later that Franz realised why the day was different. It was their last French lesson.

Question 2.
How does M. Hamel pay a tribute to the French language?
OR
What did M. Hamel tell them about the French language? What did he ask them to do and why?
Answer:
M. Hamel went on to talk about French language. He told that it was the most beautiful language of the world. It was the clearest and the most logical of all languages. He asked the people to guard it among themselves and never forget it. As long as people ‘hold fast to their language, they have the key to freedom’.

Question 3.
One order from Berlin changed the scenario of the school. Comment.
Answer:
The order from Berlin led to the announcement that French would not be taught anymore, and instead, German would be taught by a new master. This was to be their last French lesson. The class was quiet as it was a Sunday morning with no hustle and bustle. The teacher, M. Hamel was patient and calm but inwardly emotional. He was in his special dress. The sad villagers were sitting on the last benches like the other students and the teacher explained the lesson very patiently.

Question 4.
“What a thunderclap these words were to me!” Which were the words that shocked and surprised little Franz?
Answer:
M. Hamel said, “My children, this is the last French lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master will come tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I want you to be attentive”. These words of his teacher were a thunderclap for Franz.

Question 5.
Who did M. Hamel blame for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz?
Answer:
M. Hamel blamed the parents for the neglect of learning of French language as they engaged the boys in farm work. He also blamed himself to some extent as he too assigned the work of gardening to boys like Franz. He also gave them a holiday whenever he wanted to go for fishing.

Question 6.
“This is your last French lesson.” How did Franz react to this declaration of M. Hamel?
OR
How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson?
Answer:
The announcement made by M. Hamel left a great impact not only on Franz but all the other citizens. Franz was shocked to hear that M. Hamel was leaving and that it was his last lesson. He realised that he would not be able to read and speak his own mother tongue and regretted his lack of interest and carelessness.

Question 7.
How did M. Hamel say farewell to his students and the people of the town?
Answer:
M. Hamel looked very pale and tall when he stood up in his chair. All the students were quiet. The village people old Hauser, the former Mayor, the former postmaster and several others were present in the schoolroom. The teacher told the villagers that French was the most beautiful language in the world. He ended the lesson by writing Vive La France on the blackboard. He made a gesture with his hand to indicate that the school is dismissed and students could go home.

Question 8.
Why had the bulletin board become a centre of attention during the last two years?
Answer:
For the past two years, the news of lost battles, the draft and the orders of the commanding officer were displayed on the bulletin board. People thronged the bulletin board to read all this information. This was the reason why it had become a centre of attention.

Question 9.
What was tempting Franz to keep away from school ‘that morning’?
Answer:
Franz was supposed to learn participles as part of his schoolwork, which he had not done. Therefore, he was afraid of being scolded by M. Hamel. Also, he wanted to spend the day outdoors as it was warm and bright. The sight of the chirping birds and the Prussian soldiers drilling appealed to him more than the rules of participles.

Question 10.
What was unusual about M. Hamel’s dress and behaviour on the day of his last French lesson?
Answer:
Whenever Franz arrived late, he was met by an angry teacher. This time however, he was astounded when he was welcomed by a kind and polite M. Hamel. This was quite contrary to his nature. Moreover, he was dressed in his best clothes, a beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and an embroidered black silk cap, which he wore only on inspection and prize days.

Question 11.
Why had M. Hamel put on his fine Sunday clothes? Why were the old men of the village sitting there in the back of the classroom?
OR
Who occupied the back benches in the classroom on the day of the last lesson? Why?
Answer:
The back benches were occupied by the people of the village. Old Hansar, who had his three cornered hat, the former Mayor, the former post master and several other elders. They had come to express their respect and regard for M. Hamel and sorrow that he had to leave from their midst.

Question 12.
How did Franz perform when his turn came to recite? How did M. Hamel react?
Answer:
Franz’s name was called and he was asked to recite. Despite his best efforts, he got mixed up on the first words. He stood there holding on to his desk. His heart beat fast. And he did not dare look up. M. Hamel told him in a polite tone that he would not scold him as he was not the only one who neglected learning French. Many others in Alsace shared his fate because of procrastination. He said that every one had a great deal to reproach themselves with.

Question 13.
“We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.” Why did M. Hamel blame the parents and himself too for not showing due attention and care to the learning of French?
Answer:
M. Hamel did not hold Franz responsible for neglecting the learning of French. Most people of Alsace only pretended to be Frenchmen. But they could neither speak nor write their own language. The parents were not anxious to have them learn. They preferred to put children on a farm or at the mills to earn a little more money. He . even held himself responsible as he often sent his students to water his flowers instead of learning their lessons. He also used to give a holiday whenever he wanted to go fishing.

Question 14.
What does M. Hamel say about French language? What did he urge upon his students and villagers to do?
Answer:
M. Hamel talked at length about the French language. He considered French to be the most beautiful language in the world. It was the clearest and the most logical language too. He urged his students to guard it among themselves and reminded them never to forget it.

Question 15.
How does M. Hamel prove to be an ideal teacher?
Answer:
M. Hamel brings home the message of importance of love of mother tongue and patriotism. He explains things well and asks students to continue learning French even when he is gone. Hence, he proves to be an ideal teacher.

Question 16.
How was M. Hamel dressed differently that day? Why?
Answer:
M. Hamel wore a green coat, frilled shirt and black silk cap to the class. He announced that it was their last lesson in French and that German will be taught in the school in the future. He was proud of being French and was upset by occupation of Alsace by Germans. He was very attached to the town, the school and its people.

Question 17.
What had the narrator counted on to enter the school unnoticed?
Answer:
The teacher’s rap of the ruler, the banging of the desks, and the lessons repeated would be so loud that it could be heard in the street. The author thought this background would be a shield and he could enter the school unnoticed.

Question 18.
What changes did the order from Berlin cause in the school?
Answer:
The order from Berlin directed schools in the districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France to teach German instead of French.

Question 19.
Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom?
Answer:
The elders of the village came to the classroom to attend the last lesson of French in the school as a mark of respect to the French teacher, Mr Hamel who had been teaching there for the last forty years. These elders had not studied well, and could not read and write their mother tongue, French and so as it was the last opportunity for them, they came to attend the class.

Question 20.
How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson?
Answer:
Franz was shocked and sad when he heard this news. Suddenly, he developed a liking for his language and was keen to learn French. He was remorseful for not learning well in the past and was sad that his teacher, Mr Hamel would go away.

Question 21.
What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day?
Answer:
He wondered why the classroom was still with no great bustle, the sound of desks opening and closing, lessons being repeated in unison, very loudly and M. Hamel’s great ruler rapping on the table.

Question 22.
Why was Franz not scolded for reaching the school late that day?
Answer:
Franz was not scolded that day as the situation was different than the other days. It was the last lesson in French by M. Hamel, who taught for forty years there. He regretted neglecting his classes earlier and wanted to compensate on the last day, before he left.

Question 23.
How were the parents and M. Hamel responsible for the children’s neglect of the French language?
Answer:
Parents were never keen or anxious to make their children learn French. They rather made them work in the fields or mills. Mr Hamel also lacked sincerity. He made the children water his garden during class hours or dismissed his class when he wanted to go for fishing.

Question 24.
“We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with”, said M. Hamel. Refer to the context and explain what he wanted to convey to his students.
Answer:
M. Hamel wanted to convey to his students that still no loss has caused. If they desire, they can do a lot. Further, he advised them to move on and not to look back. He boosted the morale of his students by saying that though they have to blame themselves for not attending the school and he himself had to blame and disgrace himself for giving the holiday to students but hoped that they could mend their ways.

The Last Lesson Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What is ‘linguistic chauvinism’? Analyse the order from Berlin in this light. How do you justify M. Hamel’s views about French and the new-found love of the people towards their language?
Answer:
Carrying pride in one’s language too far leads to ‘linguistic chauvinism’. We can analyse the order from Berlin in this light. It is nothing but a pure example of linguistic chauvinism. The imposition of German language over the French-speaking population can’t be justified at all. It is the worst kind of colonialism.

M. Hamel’s love for French is genuine. The shocking order from Berlin arouses patriotic feelings in him. He loves French and feels it to be the most beautiful language in the world. He calls it the clearest and the most logical language too. He regrets that the people of Alsace did not pay much heed to the learning of this great language. He asks the people to safeguard it among themselves.

It is the key to their unity and freedom. The people of Alsace, particularly the village elders, suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. Students like Franz too are not immune to patriotic feelings. Franz feels sorry for neglecting the learning of French. He hates the idea of German language being imposed on them. He remarks sarcastically, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” The last lesson was so impactful that it helped to revive the love for the language among the people of Alsace.

Question 2.
How can you estimate M. Hamel as a man with a ruler and as a man with a gesture?
OR
How does M. Hamel prove to be an ideal teacher?
Answer:
In ‘The Last Lesson’, Alphonse Daudet presents M. Hamel’s character with due sympathy and respect. Initially, he is presented in the mould of a traditional schoolmaster. He used his terrible ruler under his arm. Everyone could hear the rapping of the ‘great ruler’ on the table even outside in the street. Franz reminds us ‘how cranky’ M. Hamel was. The students used to dread their schoolmaster. Franz was scared of being scolded as he had not prepared his lesson on participles. For a moment, he even thought of running away from school. Mr Hamel was a hard task master. He maintained discipline in the class.

The other side of Mr Hamel’s character is seen after the order from Berlin came. He had been transformed now. He became soft and gentle towards his students. He didn’t scold Franz for coming late. He did not even use his ruler when little Franz got mixed up and confused when his turn to recite came. He declared that it was his last lesson in French as from the next day German would be taught in the schools of Lorraine and Alsace. He would leave the next day. A new teacher would come in his place. He wore his best dress in honour of the last lesson.

M. Hamel was given respect not only by his students but even by the village elders. He was totally dedicated to the cause of teaching. He had been teaching for forty years in the same school. The village elders came to pay their respect to such a grand teacher. They sat on the back benches to listen to his last lesson.

M. Hamel loved France and French from the depth of his heart. He regarded French as the most beautiful language in the world. He told the people to guard it among themselves and never to forget it. On hearing the sound of trumpets of the Prussian soldiers under his window, patriotic feelings overpowered him. He mounted the chair and tried to speak, however something choked him. He wrote “Vive La France” with a piece of chalk on the blackboard and dismissed the class.

Question 3.
Write a character sketch of Franz.
Answer:
Franz was a student of a school in Alsace. His schoolmaster was M. Hamel. Franz was not brilliant. Franz enjoyed spending time out of doors. He liked the warm and bright day, and loved to listen to the chirping of the birds and watching the drilling of the Prussian soldiers. He preferred this instead of being in the classroom. He didn’t prepare his lesson on participles. When he was asked to recite, he got mixed up and confused. He was not excited to go to school and did not show any interest in M. Hamel’s teaching.But he was scared of M. Hamel’s scolding. He always dreaded the great ruler that M. Hamel kept under his arm. Franz knew how ‘cranky’ M. Hamel was.

However, Franz was forced to change his opinion about M. Hamel. An order came from Berlin pronouncing that German language would be taught in the schools of French districts of Alsace and Lorraine. On knowing that it was the last lesson that Mr Hamel was going to deliver, his views about him changed. He started respecting the man who had spent forty years in the same school. He felt sorry for not learning French.

He shared M. Hamel’s views about French. It was the most beautiful language in the world. Franz sarcastically remarked, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” After the last lesson, his views about French took a patriotic turn. He listened to M. Hamel’s last lesson with rapt attention and dignity, and regretted having been careless and inattentive.

Question 4.
Our native language is part of our culture and we are proud of it. How does the presence of village elders in the classroom and M. Hamel’s last lesson show their love for French?
OR
Our language is part of our culture and we are proud of it. Describe how regretful M. Hamel and the village elders are for having neglected their native language, French.
Answer:
M. Hamel told the students and villagers that henceforth only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Those who called themselves Frenchmen would neither be able to speak nor write it. He praised French as the most beautiful, the clearest and the most logical language in the world. He said that for the enslaved people, their language was the key out of prison. Only then the people realised the importance of their language. This shows people’s love for their own culture, traditions and country. Pride in one’s language reflects pride in motherland.

When Franz jumbled while it was his turn to answer, M. Hamel expresses regret at the pathetic state of the language among the folks of Alsace. He regrets the fact that everyone chose to procrastinate. Also, he felt that the parents preferred their children worked in the farms for that extra income. He worried that the Germans would ridicule them for being incapable of speaking and writing their language. He blames everyone including himself for being careless, lazy and Lackadaisical (unenthusiastic and lack of determination).

Question 5.
Everybody during the last lesson is filled with regret. Comment.
Answer:
Everybody during the last lesson is filled with regret. There was a general sadness about not being able to utilise the opportunities of learning French when it was easily accessible. Franz wished that he had attended classes more often and regretted not being attentive in his classes earlier. He suddenly found his lessons more interesting and easy. The villagers, who were sitting at the usually empty back benches and had come to show their respect and gratitude to M. Hamel, regretted not going to school more than they did.

The order also brought about a great change in the feelings of the people towards their country and their native language. M. Hamel regretted sending his students to water his flowers instead of learning their lessons. He also regretted giving holiday to students whenever he wanted to go on fishing.

Question 6.
What changes did the narrator find in the school when the order from Berlin came?
Answer:
The order from Berlin prohibited teaching of French in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Instead, German was to be taught in the schools. Franz was late for school that day. He noticed that the hustle and bustle was missing. There was no opening and closing of desks, no repetition of lessons or rapping of the teacher’s ruler on the table could be heard. It was all very quiet and still.

Franz was further surprised because, instead of meeting an angry teacher, he was welcomed by a kind and polite teacher, who was dressed in his best clothes, a beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and an embroidered silk cap, which he wore only on inspection and prize days. The back benches were occupied by the village people who never came to school, as they were more concerned about their livelihood. He was further astounded to know that M Hamel was going to teach his last lesson that day.

Question 7.
Justify the title of the story, ‘The Last Lesson’.
Answer:
The title of the story, ‘The Last Lesson’ is self-relieving. The whole story revolves around the title. The beginning of the story serves as preparation for it. The title also conveys the central theme of the story—the fact that sometimes even the most precious things in our lives are taken for granted. The people of Alsace never gave much importance to the mother tongue, French.

They did not even insist their children to pay any attention to their language. They did not encourage regular attendance of their children in French classes. They preferred their children to work and earn, instead of studying. The order from Prussians made them realise the importance of their mother tongue. So they attend M. Hamel’s last lesson altogether. Thus, the title, ‘The Last Lesson’ is justified.

Question 8.
Write a character sketch of M. Hamel as a teacher.
Answer:
M. Hamel was a true French man who has been teaching French in the districts of Alsace and Lorraine for forty years. He loved his profession and was proud of his language, French. He had a deep sense of respect for his mother tongue. He considered French to be the most beautiful language of the world. As a teacher, he was very particular and strict in imparting knowledge to his students. When France was overtaken by Prussians, he was depressed because French was banned from being taught in the schools. While taking his last lesson, he tried his best to remain calm and composed.

His sorrow was evident in the way he was sitting in the class while his students were completing their writing assignment. He felt tormented at the fact that people had become indifferent to learning French and appealed to them to keep their language alive. He was a true patriot. He believed that mother tongue is a means of holding one’s identity and self-respect. At the end of his last lesson, he writes ‘Vive La France!’ on the blackboard. This shows his love and concern for the people and the language of his country.

Lost Spring :: Summary In English

 

Lost Spring :: Summary In English

I. “Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage’ The author comes across Saheb every morning. Saheb left his home in Dhaka long time ago. He is trying to sponge gold in the heaps of garbage in the neighbourhood. The author asks Saheb why he does that. Saheb mutters that he has nothing else to do. There is no school in his neighbourhood. He is poor and works barefooted.

There are 10,000 other shoeless rag-pickers like Saheb. They live in Seemapuri, on the outer edge of Delhi, in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin but devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. They are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. They have lived here for more than thirty years without identity cards or permit. They have right to vote. With ration cards they get grains. Food is more important for survival than identity. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them, and become partners in survival. In Seemapuri survival means rag-picking. Through the years rag-picking has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread and a roof over their heads.

Sometimes Saheb finds a rupee or even a ten-rupee note in the garbage-heap. Then there is hope of finding more. Garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. For children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.

One winter morning the author finds Saheb standing by the fenced gate of a neighbourhood club. He is watching two youngmen playing tennis. They are dressed in white. Saheb likes the game but he is content to watch it standing behind the fence. Saheb is wearing discarded tennis shoes that look strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream come true. But tennis is out of his reach.

This morning Saheb is on his way to the milk booth. In his hand is a steel canister. He works in a tea stall. He is paid 800 rupees and all his meals. Saheb is no longer his master. His face has lost the carefree look. He doesn’t seem happy working at the tea-stall. II. I Want to Drive a Car The author comes across Mukesh in Firozabad. His family is engaged in bangle making, but Mukesh insists on being his own master. “I will be a motor mechanic,” he announces. “I will learn to drive a car,” he says.

Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. Families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for women. None of them know that it is illegal for children like Mukesh to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light. They slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. If the law is enforced, it could get Mukesh and 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces.

They walk down stinking lanes choked with garbage, past homes that remain hovels with crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows. Humans and animals, co-exist there. They enter a half-built shack. One part of it is thatched with dead grass. A frail young woman is cooking evening meal over a firewood stove. She is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother and already in charge of three men-her husband, Mukesh and their father. The father is a poor bangle maker. Despite long years of hard labour, first as a tailor and then as a bangle maker, he has failed to renovate a house and send his two sons to school. All he has managed to do is teach them what he knows: the art of making bangles.

Mukesh’s grandmother has watched her own husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. She says that it is his destiny. She implies that god-given lineage can never be broken. They have been born in the caste of bangle makers and have seen nothing but bangles of various colours. Boys and girls sit with fathers and mothers welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. They work in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. They often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.

Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits along side an elderly woman. She is soldering pieces of glass. Her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine. Perhaps she does not know the sanctity of the bangles she helps make. The old woman beside her has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire life time. Her husband is an old man with flowing beard. He knows nothing except bangles. He has made a house for the family to live in. He has a roof over his head.

Little has moved with time in Firozabad. Families do not have enough to eat. They do not have money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles. The youngmen echo the lament of their elders. They have fallen into the vicious circle of middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream. They are unwilling to get organised into a cooperative. They fear that they will be hauled up by the police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal. There is no leader among them. No one helps them to see things differently. All of them appear tired. They talk of poverty, apathy, greed and injustice.

Two distinct worlds are visibleone, families caught in poverty and burdened with the stigma of caste in which they are born; the other, a vicious circle of money-lenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law and politicians. Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put it down. He accepts it as naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean to dare. And daring is not part of his growing up. The author is cheered when she senses a flash of it in Mukesh who wants to be a motor mechanic.

Lost Spring Summary In Hindi

I. “कभी-कभी मुझे कूड़े के ढेर में एक रुपया मिल जाता है।
लेखिका की प्रतिदिन साहेब से भेंट होती है। वर्षों पहले साहेब बांग्लादेश में अपना घर छोड़कर आ गया था। वह पड़ोस में कूड़े के ढेरों से सोना खंगालने का प्रयास कर रहा होता है। लेखिका साहेब से पूछती है कि वह ऐसा क्यों करता है। साहेब बड़बड़ाता है कि उसके पास करने को और कुछ नहीं है। उसके पड़ोस में कोई विद्यालय नहीं है। वह निर्धन है तथा नंगे पैर काम करता है।

साहेब जैसे अन्य 10,000 जूतेविहीन कूड़े के ढेर में से कबाड़ उठाने वाले हैं। ये लोग दिल्ली के बाहरी किनारे पर सीमापुरी में रहते हैं- मिट्टी के घरौंदों में, जिन पर टीन या तिरपाल की छत है किन्तु वे मल-निकास, गन्दे पानी की नालियों अथवा पेयजल से वंचित हैं। ये अनधिकृत रूप से भूमि पर कब्जा करने वाले वे बांग्लादेशी हैं जो 1971 में यहाँ आये थे। वे पिछले 30 वर्ष से बिना किसी पहचानपत्र या आज्ञा-पत्र के रह रहे हैं।

वे मतदान के पात्र हैं। राशन कार्ड की सहायता से उन्हें अनाज मिल जाता है। जीवित रहने के लिए भोजन पहचान-पत्र से कहीं अधिक आवश्यक है। उन्हें जहाँ कहीं भोजन मिल जाता है, वहीं अपने तम्बू लगा लेते हैं जो उनके गमन-भवन बन जाते हैं। उनमें बच्चे बड़े होते हैं, तथा जीवित रहने में भागीदार बन जाते हैं। सीमापुरी में जीवित रहने का अर्थ है कूड़े-करकट को खंगालना। वर्ष बीतने के साथ कूड़ा-करकट में से मूल्यवान वस्तुएँ ढूंढना एक कला का रूप धारण कर लिया है। उनके लिये कूड़ा तो सोना है। यह उनकी दैनिक रोटी है तथा सिर के ऊपर की छत ।

कई बार साहेब कूड़े के ढेर में एक रुपया अथवा दस रुपये का नोट पा लेता है। तब अधिक पाने की आशा होती है। कूड़े-करकट का उनके लिए उनके माता-पिता की समझ से अलग अर्थ है। बच्चों के लिए यह आश्चर्य से लिपटा हुआ है, बड़ों के लिए यह जीवित रहने का साधन है।

सर्दी में एक प्रात:काल लेखिका साहेब को पड़ोस के एक क्लब के कांटेदार बाड़ लगे द्वार के पास खड़ा पाती है। वह दो नवयुवकों को टेनिस खेलते हुए देख रहा है। वे सफेद वस्त्र पहने हुए हैं। साहेब को यह खेल अच्छा लगता है, किन्तु वह इस बाड़ के पीछे खड़े रहकर देखने से ही सन्तुष्ट है। साहेब किसी के त्यागे (फॅके) हुए टेनिस के जूते पहने हुए है जो उसकी रंग उड़ी हुई कमीज तथा निकर पर अजीब लगते हैं। किसी ऐसे व्यक्ति के लिए जो नंगे पैर चला हो, छेद वाला जूता भी एक स्वप्न के सत्य होने जैसा है। किन्तु निस उसकी पहुँच से बाहर है।

इस प्रात:काल साहेब दूध की दुकान की ओर जा रहा है। उसके हाथ में एक स्टील का डिब्बा है। वह एक चाय की दुकान पर काम करता है। उसे 800 रुपये तथा उसके तीने समय का भोजन मिलता है। साहेब अब अपनी मर्जी का मालिक नहीं है। उसके चेहरे से चिन्तामुक्त दिखना लुप्त (गायब) हो गया है। चाय की दुकान में काम करके वह प्रसन्न प्रतीत नहीं होता।

II. मैं कार चलाना चाहता हूँ।”
फिरोजाबाद में लेखिका की मुकेश से भेंट होती है। उसका परिवार चूड़ियाँ बनाने में लीन है किन्तु मुकेश स्वयं अपना स्वामी बनने की जिद्द पर डटा हुआ है। वह घोषण करता है, “मैं एक मोटर-मैकेनिक बनूंगा।” वह कहता है, “मैं कार चलाना सीखेंगा”

फिरोजाबाद अपनी चूड़ियों के लिए प्रसिद्ध है। प्रत्येक दूसरा परिवार चूड़ियाँ बनाने के काम में व्यस्त है। परिवारों ने भट्ठियों के सामने काम करते हुए, शीशे को जोड़ लगाते हुए, स्त्रियों के लिए चूड़ियाँ बनाते हुए कई पीढ़ियाँ बिता दी हैं। उनमें से कोई भी यह नहीं जानता कि मुकेश जैसे छोटे बालक के लिए उच्च तापमान वाली शीशे की भट्ठी पर वायु एवं प्रकाश रहित तंग कोठरी में काम करना अवैध (गैर-कानूनी) है। वे दिन के प्रकाश के पूरे समय कठोर परिश्रम करते रहते हैं, प्रायः अपनी आँखों की चमक खो बैठते हैं। यदि कानून को कठोरता से लागू किया जाये, तो यह मुकेश तथा उस जैसे 20,000 बच्चों को गर्म भट्ठियों से मुक्त कर देगा।

वे बदबूदार तंग गलियों से जो कूड़े-करकट से भरी पड़ी हैं, उन घरों के समीप से गुजरते हुए जाते हैं जो ढहती हुई दीवारों, अस्थिर लटकते हुए दरवाजों एवं खिड़की रहित तंग कोठरियाँ मात्र हैं। यहाँ मानव तथा पशु एक साथ निवास करते हैं। वे आधी निर्मित एक फूहड़ झोपड़ी में पहुँचते हैं। इसके एक भाग में सूखी घास की छत लगी है। एक कमजोर नवयुवती लकड़ी के चूल्हे पर शाम का भोजन बना रही है। वह मुकेश के बड़े भाई की पत्नी है तथा तीन पुरुषों की देखभाल करने वाली है उसका पति, मुकेश तथा उनका पिता। पिता एक निर्धन चूड़ियाँ बनाने वाला है। वर्षों तक कठोर परिश्रम करने के बावजूद, पहले एक दर्जी के रूप में तथा फिर चूड़ियाँ बनाने वाले के रूप में, वह एक मकान को पुनः बनाने तथा अपने दोनों बालकों को विद्यालय भेजने में असमर्थ रहा है। जो कुछ वह उन्हें सिखा पाया है वह वही है जो वह जानता है- चूड़ियाँ बनाने की कला।।

मुकेश की दादी ने चूड़ियों के शीशों की पालिश करने से उड़ी धूल से अपने पति को अन्धा होते हुए देखा है। वह कहती है कि यह उसका भाग्य है। उसका निहित अर्थ है कि प्रभु प्रदत्त कुटुम्ब रेखा नहीं तोड़ी जा सकती। वे चूड़ी निर्माताओं की जाति में उत्पन्न हुये हैं और उन्होंने विभिन्न रंग की चूड़ियों के अतिरिक्त कुछ अन्य नहीं देखा है। लड़के तथा लड़कियाँ अपने माता-पिता के साथ बैठकर रंगीन शीशे के टुकड़ों को जोड़कर चूड़ियों के वृत्त बनाते हैं। वे अंधेरी झोंपड़ियों में तेल के दीयों की टिमटिमाती हुए लौ की पंक्तियों के आगे काम करते हैं। उनकी आँखें बाहर के प्रकाश की अपेक्षा अंधेरे में अधिक अभ्यस्त हैं। वयस्क होने से पहले ही प्राय: वे कई बार अपनी आँखों की ज्योति खो देते हैं।

फीकी गुलाबी पोशाक पहने हुए एक युवा लड़की सविता एक बुजुर्ग महिला के साथ बैठी है। वह शीशे के टुकड़ों को टांके लगा रही है। उसके हाथ किसी मशीन के चिमटों की भाँति मशीनी रूप से चलते हैं। शायद वह उन चूड़ियों की पवित्रता के विषय में नहीं जानती जिनको बनाने में वह सहायता करती है। उसके पास बैठी स्त्री ने जीवनपर्यन्त एक बार भी भरपेट भोजन का आनन्द नहीं लिया है। उसका पति लहराती हुई दाढ़ी वाला वृद्ध व्यक्ति है। वह चूड़ियों के अतिरिक्त कुछ नहीं जानता। उसने परिवार के निवास हेतु एक मकान बनाया है। उसके सिर पर छत है।

फिरोजाबाद में समय के साथ बहुत कम बदलाव हुआ है। परिवारों के पास खाने को पर्याप्त भोजन नहीं है। उनके पास इतना धन नहीं है कि चूड़ियाँ बनाने के धन्धे को जारी रखने के अतिरिक्त कोई अन्य काम कर सकें। वे उन बिचौलियों के कुचक्र में फैंस गए हैं। जिन्होंने उनके पिता तथा दादा-परदादा को जाल में फँसाया था। वर्षों तक मस्तिष्क को सुन्न कर देने वाले परिश्रम ने उनके पहल करने की सभी भावनाओं तथा स्वप्न देखने की सामर्थ्य को समाप्त कर दिया है। वह किसी सहकारी संस्था में संगठित होने के अनिच्छुक हैं। उन्हें भय है कि पुलिस द्वारा उनको ही अवैध कार्य करने के लिए पकड़ा जायेगा, पीटा जायेगा तथा कारागार में डाल दिया जायेगा। उनके मध्य कोई नेता नहीं है। कोई भी उन्हें वस्तुओं को पृथक रूप से देखने में सहायता नहीं करता। वे सब थके हुए प्रतीत होते हैं। वे गरीबी (निर्धनता), उदासीनता, लालच तथा अन्याय की बातें करते हैं।

दो स्पष्ट संसार दिखाई देते हैं-एक, गरीबी में फँसे परिवार, जो कि बोझा ढो रहे हैं उसे कलंक का, जिस जाति में उन्होंने जन्म लिया है; दूसरे, महाजनों, बिचौलियों, पुलिसवालों, कानून के रखवालों तथा राजनीतिज्ञों का दुष्चक्र। उन्होंने एक साथ मिलकर बच्चे पर इतना भार (सामान) लाद दिया है कि वह इसे नीचे भी नहीं रख सकता वह इसे उतने ही स्वाभाविक रूप से स्वीकार कर लेता है, जैसे कि उसके पिता ने किया था। कोई अन्य काम करने का अर्थ होगा-साहस करना तथा साहस करने का उनके बड़े होने में कोई हिस्सा नहीं है। लेखिका को तब प्रसन्नता होती है जब वह मुकेश में इसकी चमक देखती है जोकि मोटर-मैकेनिक (मिस्त्री) बनना चाहता है।

Chapter: 2

LOST SPRING

TEXTBOOK EXERCISES

1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?

Answer: Saheb is a rag picker. Garbage is wrapped in wonder for him. He is looking for “gold” in the garbage dumps. Sometimes he finds a rupee, even a ten rupee note. If luck favours, he can find a silver coin too. There is always hope of finding something more. Saheb has come from Dhaka in Bangladesh. Now he is living in Seemapuri. It is a settlement of rag pickers at the outskirts of Delhi.

2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?

Answer: Travelling across the country the author has seen poor children walking barefoot, without shoes. One explanation is that it has become a tradition for them to stay barefoot. But the author doubts it. The lack of money is the most valid explanation. Children like Saheb can’t afford shoes. When Saheb gets a pair of shoes he does wear them.

3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain

Answer: Saheb doesn’t seem to be happy working  at the tea- stall. Now he feels bound and burdened. The steel canister he holds now is very heavy. The plastic bag he used to carry on his shoulder earlier was very light. The bag was his own. The canister belongs to the master. Saheb is no longer his own master.

4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Answer: Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass- blowing industry. Families have spent generations making bangles for all the women in India.

5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?

Answer: Workers in the glass bangles industry have to work in sub-human conditions. They have to face many health hazards. They go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. They work in dark hutments. Moreover, the temperature around the furnaces remains unbearably high.

6. How is  Mukesh’s  attitude to his situation different from that of his family?

Answer:  Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle makers. But he has no fascination for bangle- making. He insists on being his own master. He wants to become a motor mechanic. He wants to go to a garage and get the required training for the job.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?

Answer: More and more people are migrating to cities. It has become a general trend. People migrate from villages to cities. The reasons for migration are many. First of all, pressure on land is increasing. Land can’t provide job opportunities for all. Over-population and lack of job opportunities have made the people turn to cities. The second reason of migration is the mechanization of farming. Hence, the landless labourers don’t get work at the farms. They are compelled to move to cities for working in industries. The third reason is the destruction of traditional arts and crafts in the villages. Artisans don’t have any market for their goods and crafts in the villages. They need bigger markets for their products. All these factors lead to the migration of people from villages to cities.

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, the promises made to the poor children are rarely kept. We live in a hypocritical world. We organise seminars to eliminate child labour in the country. India has the dubious distinction of having maximum numbers of child-workers in the world. The more hazardous the industry, the more child workers it will employ. Take for an example, the firework industry of Sivakashi in Tamil Nadu. Every year scores of children die due to blasts in the factories. The administration sleeps over all these incidents.

                 Anees Jung presents a genuine analysis of poor children employed in rag picking and bangle-making industry. The children of 10,000 rag pickers of Seemapuri expose the hollow claims of the authorities. The worst part is that it happens just on the outskirts of New Delhi. Rag pickers of Seemapuri and the child workers in the glass industries of Firozabad have never been to schools. They don’t have even shoes. They have no dreams, no initiatives. They are the softest targets for exploitation.

3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?

Answer: There are certain vested interests and forces that conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty. Anees Jung rightly analyses that there are two distinct worlds operating in Firozabad. The First world consists of families engaged in the business of making bangles. They are exploited and are caught in a web of poverty. The other world consists of “ sahukars” or moneylenders, the middlemen and the policemen. Together under their eyes 20,000 children work illegally in glass furnaces with high temperatures. Even the young fall into the vicious circle of middlemen. These agents trapped their fathers and forefathers as well. If the young get themselves organised they are “hauled up” by the police. “ Years of mind-numbing toil” has killed all initiative in them. They can’t think of organising themselves into a cooperative. Powerful people keep the workers in bangle industry helpless and poor.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

1. How in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?

Answer: Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle-makers. The bangle makers of Firozabad are condemned to lead a life of poverty, misery and exploitation. But Mukesh seems to be an exception. He has not let poverty kill his dreams. He doesn’t want to follow the traditional job of making bangles. He thinks and acts differently than the other members of his family. He dreams to be a motor mechanic. He wants to drive a car one day. Mukesh seems to be determined. It is said that fortune favours the brave. Mukesh’s dream can be converted into a reality. Only he will have to find out a garage where he can be admitted as an apprentice. Within no time he will graduate himself to be a good mechanic. If he wants to become a taxi –driver, first of all he will have to learn how to drive a car. He will get a licence only when he clears the driving test. After that he can join any travel agency as a driver.

2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?

Answer: Working in the glass bangles industry is quite hazardous. It employs about 20,000 children of tender ages. None of them knows that it is illegal for children to work in such industries. But nobody cares for the law in Firozabad. The bangle-makers work in glass furnaces with high temperature. They work in dingy cells without air and light. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why they often end up losing their eye sights before they become adults. Mukesh’s grandfather became blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. Year of mind-numbing toil have killed all their initiative and the ability to dream. Thousands of boys and girls sit with their fathers and mothers in dark hutments. They shape pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles.

3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Answer: It is crying shame that India has the maximum number of child-workers in the world. It is a stigma that puts our heads in shame. Childhood is the most tender age. A child needs love and care. It is quite unfortunate that all the major industries employ a large number of child-workers. About 20,000 children work in the furnaces with high temperature in bangles industry in Firozabad. Carpet industry of Mirzapur employs thousands of children. The worst criminals are the firework-factories in Sivakasi. Employment of children in such hazardous industries is illegal. It is banned by the law.

                  But the laws against child-labour don’t have teeth in them. Those who employ children must be punished. And those who employ them in hazardous industries must be sent behind the bars. Only exemplary punishment can put an end to this shameful practice.