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.

• Look around and find examples of such paradoxes.
• Write a paragraph of about 200 to 250 words on any one of them. You can start by making notes.

Here is an example of how one such paragraph may begin:

You never see the poor in this town. By day they toil, working cranes and earthmovers, squirreling deep into the hot sand to lay the foundations of chrome. By night they are banished to bleak labour camps at the outskirts of the city...

You never see the poor in this town. By day they toil, working cranes and earthmovers, squirreling deep into the warm sand to lay the foundations of chrome. By night they are banished to bleak labour camps at the outskirts of the city. Such is the life of the poor construction workers in this city, Delhi. It is the capital of India, with beautifully constructed buildings everywhere around the city. How often do we reflect on the poor labourers who toil so hard working day in and day out constructing these structures? These labourers who construct these buildings, ironically, often lead a nomadic life living in temporary settlements in slums or construction areas. They are denied the very fruit of their hard work. It is absurd that bricklayers are forced to live in tents of plastic and rubber sheets. They live in penury; the job is underpaid to such an extent that they fail to manage a proper house of their own. The paradox is even more deplorable when one finds such labourers working in construction sites for schools and hospitals. These people are illiterate and often do not send their children to schools for the lack of resources. Again, these people often work and live in hazardous and unhealthy conditions without any health benefits. Why are such things overlooked by the society and the government? It is high time the government and the rich work together for providing these construction site workers with the basic necessities along with education for their children. read less