Lost Spring
Anees Jung
Introduction
The story, "Lost Spring" describes the pitiable condition of poor children who have been forced to miss the
joy of childhood due to the socio-economic condition that prevails in this man-made world. These children
are denied the opportunity of schooling and forced into labour early in life. It forces the reader to think about
children working not only as rag pickers and bangle workers but also in food stalls and shops in cities. In
spite of their work they seem to be in a perpetual state of poverty.
Anees Jung gives voice to eliminate child labour by educating the children and to enforce the laws against
child labour by the governments strictly. The call is to end child exploitation and let the children enjoy the
days of the spring that bring joy under their feet.
Theme
The lesson deals with the plight of the children who are forced into labour early in life and denied the
opportunity to better their circumstances through access to education. The vicious circle of poverty,
governmental apathy and exploitation engulfs them.
The story also highlights the indifferent attitude of the society and the political class towards the problem of
child labour.
Title
The “Lost spring” has a tinge of irony. Spring is the Season of optimism and hope. Spring is the metaphor of
childhood stage in a person’s life. From birth till late childhood, life for every child is almost the beginning
of a bright and a shiny future. Childhood is featured by innocence, physical stamina and vitality, tremendous
urge for the outdoors and a tremendous appetite for fun and play. It is also the stage for gaining skill and
knowledge, learning and going to school. However, in this story of two impoverished and underprivileged
children, Saheb and Mukesh the spring season is missing. The title is meaningful as they lost their spring
(childhood). The writer has beautifully essayed the story of stolen childhood with a view to sensitizing us to
the plight of these poor unfortunate children
Main points
I - Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage.
1. The writer encounters Saheb every morning scrounging for gold in the garbage.
2. Saheb-e-Alam, a refugee from Dhaka, Bangladesh is a rag picker.
3. Wants to go to school, but can’t – very poor.
4. Lives in Seemapuri – a locality on the periphery of Delhi without any basic amenities. Most of the rag
pickers live here.
5. Food is more important for them than identity.
6. Rag picking is different for children and adult.
7. For adults – a mean of survival . For children – wrapped in wonders
8. Sahib gets a job in tea stall, earns Rs. 800/- and all his meal but still unhappy
9. Loses his freedom and carefree look.
II - I want to drive a car.
1. The writer comes across Mukesh in Firozabad.
2. His family is engaged in making bangles but Mukesh insists on being his own master.
3. He desires to become a motor mechanic.
4. They work in dingy cells without air and light and furnaces with high temperatures.
5. As a result, most of them become blind at a very young age.
6. They don’t have money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles.
7. They can’t organize into a cooperative.
8. They are afraid of being hauled up by the Police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal.
9. There is no leader among them. They talk of poverty, apathy, greed and injustice.
10. So poor that they can’t even dream – to do anything means to dare – and daring is not part of their
growing.
11. The author is cheered when she senses a flash of it in Mukesh who wants to be a motor.
Important quotes
Seemapuri ,a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it- Seemapuri is geographically
close to Delhi, but its traditions, standard of life and people are far away from Delhi which is a
thriving metro city with all the amenities and is a seat of power.
For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the adults it is a means of survival- The elders have
made it their profession for a fixed wage whereas for the children rag picking is a game of treasure-
hunting. They work through the garbage with a hope that one day they would get a gold coin or a
rupee note from the garbage heap.
Through years rag picking has acquired the proportions of a fine art.-.Like any other art form, rag
picking possesses certain talents and rules. One needs guidance and inborn talents to be a successful
rag picker. He should know where to find garbage, what to take, what to ignore, what time is best for
it and so on. In Seemapuri every child is skilled in this art form.
The steel cannister seems heavier…….over his shoulders- Saheb is now employed in a tea shop
with a fixed wage of 800 rupees and all meals. He is not happy as he has lost his freedom as he is
bound to the owner of the tea stall who is his master. He is no longer his own master.
Little has moved with time in Firozabad.
Though laws have been made against child labour, children still continue to work in the bangle
industry in Firozabad. The children working in this industry are exploited by money lenders, the
middlemen and the bureaucrats. Even the police do not protect them. They lead a miserable and hard
life. They live and work in inhuman conditions. In fact, little has moved with the time in the city of
bangle makers. They are as poor and miserable as they were before.
