GYAN BHARATI SCHOOL

SAKET, NEW DELHI

LOST SPRING – by Anees Jung

CENTRAL IDEA:
1. The story ‘Lost Spring’ is an excerpt from Anees Jung’s book titled ‘Lost Spring. Stories of Stolen
Childhood’. It addresses the pitiable condition of the poor children who are unable to enjoy the
simple joys of their childhood due to their grinding poverty and the traditions which condemn them
to a life of exploitation.
2. These children live a life that is far distant and different from the life of normal children. The story is
a clarion call to end child exploitation and to allow these children enjoy the days of spring that would
bring joy under their feet. The callousness of the society and the political class only adds to the
sufferings of these poor people. The author Anees Jung tries to propagate the education of children
and the enforcement of strict laws against child labour by the government.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:
Sometimes I find a rupee in garbage

• The author here is analyzing the poor conditions and traditions that push children to live a life of
exploitation. They are also denied education and face hardships quite early in their lives.
• The writer comes across Saheb – a rag picker whose parents have left Dhaka and their life of poverty
to earn a living in Delhi.
• Just like many other families, even his family lives in Seemapuri. They don’t own any other
identification other than a ration card.
• These children can’t afford to go to school but get excited when they find a coin or even a ten rupee
note while rummaging in the garbage.
• This is their only way of earning.
• The writer feels awful to see Saheb, a rag picker whose name also means the lord of the universe.
But the poor child has lost his childhood and roams barefooted with his friends.
• Right from morning to afternoon, the author comes across him in a tea stall. Saheb becomes sad as
he realizes that he is no longer the master of his own destiny and the loss of identity weighs heavily
on his tender shoulders.

I want to drive a car

• The author sheds light on another victim of child labour, Mukesh who dreams of becoming a motor
mechanic.
• Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle makers, who are exposed to many health hazards such as
losing their eyesight as they work in appalling conditions, in dark and dingy cells.
 • Mukesh’s father is blind and inspite of long years of struggle he hasn’t managed to send his children
to school nor renovate his house.
• So, the bangle makers of Firozabad are so burdened that they have stopped dreaming and have lost
their initiative.
• Mukesh is a little different from the others. He has some new dreams and is ready to face
challenges.
• When the narrator meets Mukesh, asks him if he wished to fly a plane, Mukesh states that he only
wants to drive a car that runs on the roads of Firozabad. We see a Mukesh who is well aware of his
limitations and is well grounded even in his dreams. He hopes to work towards something that is
attainable.

THE TITLE: LOST SPRING

Spring is the season of optimism and hope. It symbolizes life. But, unfortunately, millions of children in our
country waste their childhood in rag picking and other hazardous industries. The joys of childhood, the
vibrance of spring is lost either in the garbage or in the dingy cells with furnaces. The grinding poverty and
traditions condemn these children to a life of exploitation. They see very little hope of escaping from their
impoverished life of misery and deprivation. Moreover, years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative
and the ability to dream. They are entangled in a spiral that moves from poverty to apathy to greed and to
injustice. Children like Saheb-e-Alam and Mukesh have no spring in their life because of the poverty they
have been born into. Since they don't enjoy the privileges of childhood that the children of affluent families
enjoy, the poet considers these children as those who have lost the spring (childhood)of their life to the
demands of survival. Hence, the title 'Lost Spring' is justified.

CHARACTER SKETCHES:
Saheb – e- Alam:
Sahib is a rag-picker from Seemapuri whose parents migrated from Bangladesh in the year 1971. The writer
encounters him every morning barefoot in her neighbourhood. He scrounges for gold in the garbage dumps
to make a living. He is unable to go to school because there is none in his neighbourhood. Sahib-e-Alam, his
full name, means ‘Lord of the universe.’ It is ironical on his part that the poor fellow roams around the
streets picking up the rags. Although extremely poor, he has no complaints and is quite cheerful. For rag-
pickers like Sahib, garbage is wrapped in wonder. At present Saheb is working at some tea stall. The writer
sees him with a steel canister. He has lost his carefree look of his early days. Although Saheb is paid 800
rupees a month with all meals he is not happy with his work because he is no longer his own master.
Mukesh:
Mukesh lives in Firozabad and was born into the family of bangle makers. He aspires to become a motor
mechanic. Unlike the others in Firozabad who were burdened by the stigma of caste into which they are
born, Mukesh did not want to follow the traditional profession. Mukesh was a strong and determined boy
who insisted on being his own master. In a way he was a path breaker by wanting to live a life different
from hundreds of children in his neighbourhood who are trapped in the business of bangle making. To assist
the family income, he also worked with his father in glass furnaces making bangles, but there was a spark of
rebellion in him and daring is a part of his growing up. He was confident and determined to become a motor
mechanic. His dreams and aspirations are practical. He dreams only of what he can achieve or what was
within his reach. He had a willingness to work hard and fulfil his desires
 ENGLISH CORE ASSIGNMENT
LOST SPRING
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Answer the following questions in 30 to 40 words each.
a. The Bangladeshi migrants came to Delhi ‘looking for gold in the city’. What kind of life are they
leading in Seemapuri now?
b. ‘Saheb is no longer his own master’. Explain the context.
c. ‘His dream looks like a mirage amidst streets that fill his town’. Why does Anees Jung say so?
d. Describe the circumstances that keep the workers in the bangle industry in poverty?
e. Draw the similarities between the life of the rag pickers and the bangle makers as portrayed in ‘Lost
Spring’.