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Lost Spring

Lost Spring by Anees Jung highlights the harsh realities of child labor and poverty through the stories of Saheb, a ragpicker, and Mukesh, a bangle-maker. Both children are trapped in cycles of poverty that rob them of their childhood and dreams, yet Mukesh's aspiration to become a motor mechanic symbolizes hope for change. The chapter calls for societal action against child exploitation and emphasizes the importance of education and the power of dreams.

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45 views2 pages

Lost Spring

Lost Spring by Anees Jung highlights the harsh realities of child labor and poverty through the stories of Saheb, a ragpicker, and Mukesh, a bangle-maker. Both children are trapped in cycles of poverty that rob them of their childhood and dreams, yet Mukesh's aspiration to become a motor mechanic symbolizes hope for change. The chapter calls for societal action against child exploitation and emphasizes the importance of education and the power of dreams.

Uploaded by

Rpsingh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lost Spring ~ Anees Jung

Theme

• The chapter focuses on the grinding poverty and lost childhood of poor children.
• It explores child labor, broken dreams, and the injustice of social inequality.
• Highlights how children are forced into adulthood too early due to harsh socio-economic
conditions.

1. Introduction to the Chapter

• “Lost Spring” is divided into two vignettes (stories) of children who have lost the joys of
childhood.
• The author uses real-life examples to portray how poverty snatches the “spring” (youth
and hope) from children's lives.

2. Story I – Saheb of Seemapuri

• Saheb is a ragpicker boy who migrated from Dhaka, Bangladesh to Seemapuri near Delhi.
• His family fled their home due to floods and starvation.
• He dreams of going to school and having a better life, but ends up scavenging garbage.
• Irony: His name "Saheb-e-Alam" means "Lord of the Universe", but he lives in poverty.
• One day he works in a tea stall — loses his independence and smile with his job.

3. Message from Saheb’s Story

• Garbage becomes a means of survival and also a symbol of lost dreams.


• These children are denied basic rights like education and play.
• The cycle of poverty forces them into labor at a very young age.

4. Story II – Mukesh of Firozabad

• Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle-makers in Firozabad.


• Generations of families have been engaged in this trade under inhuman working
conditions.
• Children work in dark, hot furnaces, risking their eyesight and health.
• The profession is a trap of tradition and poverty, hard to break.
• Mukesh, however, dreams of becoming a motor mechanic, unlike others who have
accepted their fate.

5. Message from Mukesh’s Story

• A rare sense of hope and determination is seen in Mukesh’s dream.


• His willingness to break free shows that change is possible, even in difficult conditions.

Key Takeaways

• Lost Childhood: Poverty deprives children of their rights to education and joy.
• Cycle of Poverty: Families are stuck in generational poverty and bonded labor.
• Power of Dreams: Even in darkness, dreams like Mukesh’s shine as rays of hope.
• Social Injustice: These stories urge society to act against child labor and exploitation.

Important Terms

• Seemapuri: A slum on the outskirts of Delhi where Bangladeshi refugees live.


• Firozabad: Town famous for bangle-making, symbolic of trapped traditions.
• Ragpicking: Collecting waste for resale—Saheb’s means of livelihood.
• Child Labor: Forced work during childhood, depriving education and growth.

Quotes

• “Garbage to them is gold.”


• “I want to drive a car.”
• “Survival in Seemapuri means ragpicking.”
• “It is his karma, his destiny.”
• “The cry of not having enough to do, not enough to eat.”

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