Question 2 - Chapter 2 - Lost Spring - Flamingo - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 12

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:

 My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. Seemapuri was then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 ragpickers. They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain.

(Lost Spring)

Question (i)

What is the writer’s purpose in mentioning the ration cards that the squatters have?

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

The writer’s purpose in mentioning the ration cards that the squatters have is to s how the irony and the contradiction of their situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The writer says that the squatters have lived in Seemapuri for more than thirty years without an identity or permits , which means that they are not recognized or authorized by the government or the society.
• However, the writer also says that they have ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain, which means that they have some form of identification and entitlement.
• The writer uses this contrast to show the irony and the contradiction of their situation, as they are both invisible and visible, both excluded and included, depending on their needs and benefits.

Question (ii)

Complete the sentence appropriately.

The phrase "a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically" suggests that ____________.

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

. The correct answer is Seemapuri is very different from Delhi in terms of its living conditions, its people, and its identity.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The writer says that Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi, which means that it is located at the edge of the city, far away from its main parts.
• The writer also uses the word "metaphorically", which means that Seemapuri is not only on the edge of Delhi geographically, but also socially and economically.
• The writer shows how Seemapuri is different from Delhi in terms of its living conditions, its people, and its identity.

Question (iii)

Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards".

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that the squatters are not recognized or authorized by the government or the society, but they have some form of identification and entitlement that allows them to survive.

Step-by-step explanation:

• An inference is a logical conclusion or deduction based on evidence or clues from the text.
• The writer says that the squatters have lived in Seemapuri for more than thirty years without an identity or permits, which means that they are not registered or legalized as citizens or residents.
• However, the writer also says that they have ration cards that get their names on voters' lists and enable them to buy grain , which means that they have some document that proves their existence and gives them some rights and benefits.
• This contrast shows the paradox or the contradiction of their situation, as they are both invisible and visible, both excluded and included, depending on their needs and benefits.

Question (iv)

 Identify the word from the extract that means the opposite of "included".

1. Devoid
2. Squatters
3. Periphery
4. Voters

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(a) Devoid.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To be included means to be part of something or to belong to something.
• To be devoid means to be completely without something or to lack something.
• Both words have opposite meanings, as one implies presence and the other implies absence.
• The writer uses the word devoid to describe how Seemapuri is without any basic facilities or amenities, such as sewage, drainage or running water.

Question (v)

 What is the writer's purpose in describing the living conditions of the squatters in Seemapuri?

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 The writer's purpose in describing the living conditions of the squatters in Seemapuri is to show the harsh reality and the poor quality of life that they face every day.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The writer's purpose is the reason or the goal that the writer has for writing something.
• The writer describes the living conditions of the squatters in Seemapuri in detail, using words and phrases such as structures of mud, roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, etc.
• The writer uses these descriptions to show the reader how the squatters live in a very unhygienic, unsanitary, and unhealthy environment, without any comfort or convenience.
• The writer also shows how these living conditions affect their health, their dignity, and their future.

Question (vi)

Which of the following headlines best summarizes the main idea of the extract?

1. The Struggle of the Ragpickers
2. The History of Seemapuri
3. The Paradox of the Squatters
4. The Development of Delhi

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(c) The Paradox of the Squatters.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The main idea of the extract is the central message or theme that the writer wants to convey to the reader.
• The main idea of this extract is the paradox or the contradiction of the squatters who live in Seemapuri, who are both refugees and citizens, both homeless and settled, both ignored and acknowledged.
• The headline that best summarizes this main idea is "The Paradox of the Squatters", which captures the essence of the extract in a concise and catchy way.
• The other headlines do not summarize the main idea as well, as they focus on other aspects of the extract, such as the struggle of the ragpickers, the history of Seemapuri, or the development of Delhi.