What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Saheb is looking for anything that will buy him and his family a day’s meal. For his family, it means survival but for Saheb, it is like gold, wrapped in wonder. Saheb’s family has migrated from Bangladesh in 1971, in search of a livelihood but they now reside in Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi, which is a home to 10000 ragpickers.
What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
The author thinks that being barefoot is a tradition for most and that it is not due to lack of money. But he also can’t help but wonder if that is only an excuse to explain their eternal poverty.
Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
No, Saheb is no more his own master. Instead, he is compelled to work under someone else, unlike before. The plastic bag used for rag picking has been replaced by a steel canister and he is burdened by responsibility. His unhappiness can also be seen in his eyes, which no longer have a carefree look.
What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Firozabad is famous for its bangle industry. It is the hub of India’s glass-blowing industry. Every family residing in Firozabad is engaged in this industry. Families, throughout generations, serve in making bangles for all the women in the land.
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
• High temperatures
• Suffocation and lack of light
• Loss of eyesight
How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Mukesh’s attitude is that of hopes and wishes, unlike his family, who have come to accept their fate. He dreams of becoming a motor mechanic one day, whereas years of poverty and struggle killed others’ ability to dream.
What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Most people migrate from villages to cities in search of livelihood. Some also move to cities in search of better health or education facilities for their children. And like Saheb’s family, some are forced to migrate due to natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, etc.
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?
Yes, promises made to poor children are often rarely kept. They give false hope of a better and a problem-free life. Most tend to make false promises as they do not have the heart to shatter a child’s dream.
In the story narrated by the author, he gives his word to Saheb to build a school for him but doesn’t realize at the time, that he is making promises he doesn't intend to keep. Only later does he realize his mistake and feels embarrassed by it.
What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Injustices such as the cruel acts of sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of the law, the bureaucrats and the politicians force the workers into poverty. The stigma of caste in which they are born in also confines them from searching for a better livelihood. Lack of vision and leadership among the community restricts them from overcoming these forces.
How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realize his dream?
Mukesh can realize his dream by not losing hope and by working committedly towards his dream. His dream of becoming a motor mechanic and driving a car is completely different from his family's present scenario and therefore, he is bound to face some hurdles. Mukesh should stay strong in face of such difficulties. Mukesh also shows his willingness to walk a long distance to learn the work from a garage, which shows that he is passionate about achieving his dream.
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
• High temperatures caused by burning glass furnaces makes it extremely dangerous for the workers of the factory
• Suffocation and lack of light due to poor ventilation and the dust from polishing results in respiratory problems
• Often, the workers suffer from loss of eyesight due to hot furnaces and dim lighting
Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Child labour often forces children into dangerous environments and deprives them of their childhood. These children also lose access to basic education and this restricts them from doing well in life. Often, children are taken advantage of and are exploited by paying them less than basic pay. Harmful work environment leads to health concerns and may even cause a threat to life. Hence, child labour should be eliminated.
Elimination of Child Labour:
Strict laws should be enacted to prohibit the practice of child labour. Any violations must be immediately and promptly penalized. Also, parents of these children must be made aware of the importance of education, so that they stop sending their children to work. The students must also be told about the value of education. The common public should take the initiative and inform to the responsible officials if any child workers are sighted. Police must also keep a constant check on construction sites and other places where child labour is usually prone to happen.
Although this text speaks of factual events and situations of misery it transforms these situations with an almost poetical prose into a literary experience. How does it do so? Here are some literary devices:
• Hyperbole is a way of speaking or writing that makes something sound better or more exciting than it really is.
For example Garbage to them is gold.
• A Metaphor, as you may know, compares two things or ideas that are not very similar. A metaphor describes a thing in terms of a single quality or feature of some other thing; we can say that a metaphor “transfers” a quality of one thing to another. For example The road was a ribbon of light.
• A simile is a word or phrase that compares one thing with another using the words “like” or “as”. For example: As white as snow.
Carefully read the following phrases and sentences taken from the text. Can you identify the literary device in each example?
(a) Saheb-e-Alam which means the lord of the universe is directly in contrast to what Saheb is in reality.
(b) Drowned in an air of desolation.
(c) Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.
(d) For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders, it is a means of survival.
(e) As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make.
(f) She still has bangles on her wrist, but not light in her eyes.
(g) Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
(h) Web of poverty.
(i) Scrounging for gold.
(j) And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art.
(k) The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulders.
(a) Irony
Irony represents a contrast between how it should be and the reality. Here, Saheb’s name is in contrast with his real life.
(b) Metaphor
It’s a metaphor since it uses ‘drown’ with ‘air’ which are ideas that are not very similar.
(c) Antithesis
Two contrasting ideas, i.e., the periphery of Delhi but miles away from it, is used in the same sentence.
(d) Antithesis
Here, two opposite ideas, i.e., what garbage means to the children and what is means to the elders is put together in one sentence to show the contrast. Hence, the figure of speech used is the antithesis.
(e) Simile
The word ‘like’ is used to compare two things.
(f) Pun
A pun is used here to give two meanings, the literal meaning and the inherent meaning.
(g) Pun
Here a pun is used to give a different sense of the words ‘Few airplanes fly over Firozabad’, i.e., to show the poverty of those residing here.
(h) Metaphor
Here, a metaphor is used to describe poverty in terms of a ‘web’, i.e., poverty is described in terms of a feature of the web.
(i) Metaphor
It’s a metaphor since it uses ‘scrounging’ with ‘gold’ which are ideas that are not very similar.
(j) Hyperbole
Here, rag picking is described as a fine art, i.e., it is written in a way that sounds more exciting. Hence, it’s a hyperbole.
(k) Paradox
Here, the sentence appears to contradict itself, i.e., ‘steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag’
The beauty of the glass bangles of Firozabad contrasts with the misery of people who produce them.
This paradox is also found in some other situations, for example, those who work in gold and diamond mines, or carpet weaving factories, and the products of their labour, the lives of construction workers, and the buildings they build.
l Look around and find examples of such paradoxes.
l Write a paragraph of about 200 to 250 words on any one of them. You can start by making notes.
The paradoxes of such kind can be found in large numbers in our daily life. One of the most common examples is our regular housemaids. They work to make our homes more comfortable for us, and yet they are never able to achieve the same level of comfort for themselves. This is due to several reasons such as lack of earnings, societal degradation, lack of access to facilities, etc. We enjoy the result of their misery and often fail to acknowledge their services. In fact, we cannot imagine a single day go by without the help of a housemaid, more specifically in the Indian context. Societal exclusion and degradation due to the kind of work they do are widely prevalent. Exploitation in the form of less pay for their services also pushes them further into poverty. Proper access to education and health is also absent which restricts their children from earning a better livelihood. It is commonly observed that the girl child of such housemaids is also forced to take up the same profession very young in life, often as young as 8 years old. It is, therefore, a vicious, continuous cycle of misery, one which is difficult to break.