English Textual Question[4M][Flamingo Prose]

SELF

Because of the following reasons:

• high temperatures, lack of proper ventilation, and light
• long working hours in front of the hot furnace
• eyes are more adjusted to dark than light
• dust from polishing bangles affects their eyes
• exploited by moneylenders, police, bureaucrats, politicians
• fear of being ill-treated by police
• lack of a leader who can organize them
• live in a state of intense poverty
• sleep on an empty stomach, and live in stinky lanes overcrowded with humans and animals.

Mukesh dreams of owning a car one day but doesn't dream of flying a plane because his aspirations are limited by the environment in which he lives. Mukesh and his family belong to a community of "bangle-makers" who are excluded from mainstream society and denied access to education, healthcare, and other basic amenities.

Mukesh has never been to school and his desire to own a car reflects his yearning for a sense of dignity, mobility, and social status that he lacks in his current circumstances.

Flying a plane is an ambition that requires a level of education, skills, and resources that are beyond Mukesh's reach. He has never seen an airplane, let alone flown in one, and doesn't have the knowledge or means to pursue such a goal. Mukesh's dreams are thus bounded by the realities of his social and economic situation, and he finds solace in imagining a more modest but still meaningful future for himself.

Everyone has the right to dream-even Mukesh in spite of the challenges of his life. But his dream is like a mirage. Mukesh belonged to a marginalized family. He disliked the profession of bangle-making and wanted to become a motor mechanic. He lives in such poor conditions that it is impossible for him to learn to drive a car. He is bound by the traditional family of working in the bangle industry. Working for years in those bangle-making mills will make him blind. The bangle-making communities are not equipped to break out of the vicious circle of politicians middlemen etc. So the dream is compared to a mirage/hallucination.

Based on the book, it is clear that Anees Jung was deeply moved by the plight of the children and families she encountered in the slums of Delhi. She was struck by the contrast between the wealth and luxury of the city and the poverty and squalor of the slums, and she was particularly affected by the resilience and dignity of the children who had to work in order to survive.

It is possible that Anees Jung's experiences in the slums of Delhi may have influenced her worldview and her approach to writing. She may have become more aware of the social and economic inequalities that exist in Indian society and may have developed a greater empathy for those who are marginalized and excluded.

The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles, not even enough to eat, rings in every home.'
(The Lost Spring)
'...far from the city, we make our roadside stand and ask for some city money to feel in hand'.(A Roadside Stand)
Create a conversation between a bangle maker and the owner of a roadside stand with reference to the above extracts.
You may begin the conversation like this:
Owner of a roadside stand: Your bangles are pretty. Tell me about your experience in this business.