LOST SPRING

-ANEES JUNG

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Lines to PONDER (not to be written in your notebook, but read thoroughly)

STORY 1: “Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage.”

“…..garbage has different meaning ……..For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the
elders it is a mean of survival.”

Explanation: Garbage is gold to these rag-pickers. For elders it is source of their daily bread and
a roof over their head even if it is leaky. For children it is a surprise as they may get a rare ten
rupee note in the garbage.

“…….his name “Saheb-e- Alam” ……. Lord of the Universe”

Explanation: Saheb’s name is full of irony. The meaning of his name is ‘Lord of the Universe’,
but he is poverty stricken, barefooted and homeless. He is rag-picker who gets up early in the

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morning, rushes barefooted to garbage bins and scrounges the garbage dumps of Delhi to have
his bread.

“The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his
shoulder…… Saheb is no longer his own master.”

Explanation: The life of Saheb as a rag-picker was very poor, but his life as a child labourer
became even worst. He was carefree and a master of his own free will, but as a child labourer
he was bound to responsibilities that he had to fulfil even if he liked it or not.

Saheb’s Life as a Rag-picker & a Worker at Tea Stall

Garbage Dump Steel Canister

Symbol of freedom for rag pickers Symbol of Slavery

Master of his own life and enjoyed life No longer Master of his own life

Full of Wonders Monotonous and dull

Under the control of no one Under the control of the owner

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“… an army of barefoot boys who appear like morning birds and disappear at noon.”

Explanation: Due to poverty, these boys cannot afford slippers or shoes but are free spirited
and enjoy and celebrate their freedom like birds.

These boys call it a tradition to walk barefoot, but in reality they cannot afford slippers or
shoes. Their condition is poorer than the priest boys who could get shoes in life after a few
decades but the rag-pickers suffer from deprivation since generations and there is still no hope
of change for them.

STORY 2: “I Want to Drive a Car.”

“His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town, Firozabad,
famous for its bangles.”

Explanation: The dream of Mukesh to become a motor mechanic is like a mirage which that
appears possible but couldn’t be or there are very less chances of it. It is because he is worker
in the bangle making factor and has very less chances to change his present occupation which
he has got in heredity.

“Few aeroplanes fly over Firozabad.”

Explanation: The condition of workers in Firozabad is so poor that they couldn’t even think of
simple things even in their dreams. Becoming a motor mechanic is a great challenge for
Mukesh, he could never (even in his dreams) think of becoming a pilot.

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Short questions: (To be copied in the notebook)

1. ‘But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.”
What promise does the author recall? In what context was it made?
Was it fulfilled?
Through this statement, the author throws light on the gloomy world of poor children.
Every day, new promises are made to improve their lot, but none of them is implied.
Law promises them health and education but they do not get these in reality. Similarly,
the author asked Saheb about going to school. Saheb explained that there was no
school in his neighbourhood. He promised to go to school when they built one. Half
joking, the author asked whether he would come in case she started one. She smiled
broadly and agreed to come. A few days later, he ran into the author and asked if the
school was ready. The author felt embarrassed. She had made a promise that was not
meant to be.
2. How does the author focus on the ‘perpetual state of poverty’ of the children not
wearing footwear?
The author notices that most of the young children engaged in rag picking are not
wearing any footwear. Some of them do not have chappals. Others want to wear shoes.
Some say it is a tradition to stay barefoot. To the author it seems lack of money. Poverty
forces them to walk without footwear.
3. Describe the irony in Saheb’s name.
His real name is ‘Saheb-e- Alam’. It means the Lord of the universe. But he has no idea
of the meaning of his name. He looks for gold in the garbage dumps. He is devoid of the
real childhood. He lives in an area, Seemapuri, which was once a wilderness. His hut has
a roof of tin and tarpaulin, they are devoid of sewage, drainage and running water. They
don’t have an identity and barely get one square meal a day.
4. How does Saheb’s life change when he starts working at the tea-stall?
Saheb now has a regular income. He is paid 800 rupees and given all his meals. Thus,
food is no longer a problem. But he has lost the carefree look on his face as he is now
bound with responsibilities. The steel canister in his hand now seems a burden as

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compared to the plastic bag he carried once. He is no longer his own master. He now
works for longer hours. The helplessness of doing things at his own will makes him sad.
PART II.
1. “Born in the cast of bangle- makers they have seen nothing but bangles”. Where
do they see bangles?
Children like Mukesh are born in the caste of bangle- makers. They know no other
work. They see bangles in the house, in the yard, in every house, every other yard,
every street in Firozabad. The spirals of bangles lie in mounds in unkempt yards.
They are piled on four wheeled hand carts.
2. “She still has bangles on her writs but no light in her eyes.” What exactly does the
author want to convey through this?
Since her husband, an old man with a flowing beard is still alive, she still has

bangles on her wrist. She has, however, not enjoyed even one full nteal in her entire

lifetime. So, there is no light in her eyes. This is just a comment on the abject

poverty and helplessness of the bangle-makers.

3. “The young men echo the lament of their elders.” What do you think is the
common complaint? How has it affected their lives?

Their complaint is their cry for not having enough money to do anything except make

bangles for a living which doesn't provide them with an apt amount of food.
This has affected their lives vastly. Poverty and the scarcity of food together form
a vicious cycle which surrounds their lives leaving them no choice but
to follow the family profession of bangle-making and live a life of extreme hardship.
The bangle-makers of Firozabad are quite poor. They do not have enough money to
do anything except carry on the business of making bangles. Some even do not have
enough to pacify their hunger. Building a house for the family is an achievement for
them. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream.
___________________________XXXXXXX__________________________________

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 No need to copy the following question and answers. They are for your reference
only. (not to be written in your notebook, but read thoroughly)

Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words each:

1. What is the vicious circle of middlemen? How are they trapped since the time of their
forefathers? Can they get organised? If not, why? Explain.

Ans. The vicious circle of middleman is indeed very malicious. Actually, whenever these
bangle makers step out to come forward to do something unconventional or to raise
their voice, they are hauled up, dragged and beaten by the policemen and sahukars,
middleman, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians. Whenever, they
even think of any other trade, their thinking and abilities are killed. And this vicious
circle of the so called gentlemen of the society seems more powerful than a web of
spiders. They have been trapped since the time of their forefathers due to the same
reason because this legacy is being transferred from one generation to the next. Due to
this naturally felt and given legacy, the child accepts it very ordinarily. They can never
form any union or cannot get organised so easily because the middlemen and others do
not allow it because of their own greed and selfishness. These so called important
people of the society think only of themselves and make fake promises displaying the
false sympathy. So, their (bangle maker’s) reform remains a challenge for them as well
as for the government.

2. Give a brief account of life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in
Seemapuri.

Ans. Seemapuri is a slum area located on the periphery of Delhi. Most of the residents
of Seemapuri consist of people who are refugees from Bangladesh. Saheb’s family is
among them. The area consists of mud structures, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. They
do not have facilities of sewage, drainage or running water. About 10000 rag pickers live
here. Their only means of livelihood is finding saleable items from rubbish. Thus, for
them, the rubbish is as valuable as gold, for their survival depends on what they find in
the rubbish. These rag pickers have lived here for more than thirty years without any
identity. They do not have permits but have ration cards, thanks to the selfish whims
and wishes of the politicians. With these, they can get their name on the voter’s lists
and also buy grains for themselves at a subsidised rate.

3. Who was Saheb? What was the plight that compelled him to wander in the streets of
Delhi for rag picking?

Ans. Saheb who belonged to the family of rag pickers was a young boy wandering in the
streets of Delhi with his friends. They were the squatters from Dhaka, Bangladesh
where the storm has destroyed their green fields and homes. They were so poor that
they could not go to school. Their parents were dependent on rag picking only for their

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 livelihood and unable to bear any other expense except for food. In total their poverty
was the plight that compelled Saheb and others like him to wander in the streets of
Delhi for rag picking.

4. How is Mukesh’s attitude towards his situation different from that of Saheb? Why?

Ans. Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle-makers, but he is not content with this
occupation. He dares to dream of becoming a motor-mechanic and driving cars. He has
a strong will power and wants to achieve what he dreams, unlike other people in his
family. In contrast to this, Saheb is a rag picker who is content with his life, but becomes
unhappy when he gets a job at a tea stall, even though now he is probably earning more
and on a regular basis and is given all his meals. Saheb is unhappy because he has lost
his independence, which he had as a rag picker. However, Saheb accepts his new
situation, whereas Mukesh wants to break free from tradition. This is because Mukesh
is more courageous and dares to dream big. He is more determined than Saheb will
ever be.

5. Every other house in Firozabad is engaged in glass industry. In every other yard, there
finds the spiral of bangles. Even then the makers remain in miserable condition. What
are the reasons? Explain with the suggestions to overcome this situation.

Ans. In India, Firozabad is the largest manufacturer of the bangles. Every other house in
Firozabad is engaged in glass industry. In every other yard, one can find spirals of
bangles but it’s an irony that these families always remain in miserable condition with
no shine or lustre in their life. The reasons behind it are a lot in many ways, as for
generations, they’ve been engaged in only bangle making and not seen any other thing
never so they are totally dependent on this trade, whenever they think or make efforts
to pursue any other trade, they are stopped and hauled up by the police and other
persons like middlemen, sahukars, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the
politicians. Their condition can only be reformed by the combined efforts of bangle
makers and the government. Their products should be given ‘Hallmark’ and kept free
from taxes. They should be given opportunity to sell their products directly to the
companies and the mediators must be removed. Even the government can give subsidy
and give low interest loan to these poor bangle makers.

Short Answer Type Questions

6. Who was Mukesh? What did he want to do in his life and what did he not want to
follow?

Ans – Mukesh was a member of the family from Firozabad, engaged in bangle making,
His whole family, since many generations, was involved in only bangle making. So, no
person of such bangle making families could think of any other work or trade. Because
of this family trade, he himself too had to do the same work but Mukesh never wanted
to follow that tradition. Actually, he wanted to be a motor mechanic for which he had
to take great pains going against his family tradition and members, without support

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 taking the training, going very far from his house for learning etc. When the author
asked him about his aspirations, he replied straight-forward and with confidence that
he will be a motor mechanic.

7. Children like Saheb often go for private jobs in very small age. Is this their final
destiny? How can such situation be overcome?

Ans. Children like Saheb often start work at a very small age and the only reason behind
it is their abject poverty. Their parents have to earn money for survival first, and then
they can think for any other expense. They find no value for education in their life and
hence remain uneducated. Mostly, this becomes their final destiny because when they
engage themselves with such jobs, then it seems very hard and impossible to give up.
So, by the time they are adolescence, they get trapped in such jobs and are deprived of
real education. Such situations can only be overcome by the combined efforts of
parents and government. Every section of the society will have to work unanimously
and with dedication to fight with this evil of our society.

Extra questions (not to be written in your notebook, but read thoroughly)

1. „The beauty of the glass bangles of Firozabad contrasts with the misery of people
who produce them‟. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry.
Discuss the endless spiral of poverty, apathy, greed and injustice present there.

Ans. The lesson ‘Lost Spring’ describes the pathetic condition of the bangle-makers. On the
one hand, it is the plight of the street children forced into labour early in life and denied the
opportunity of studying in schools. The glass industry has its own hazards. The illegal
employment of very young children and the pathetic working conditions leads to many
children becoming blind. They work in glass furnaces with high temperatures. Their dingy
cells have no light, nor any ventilation. Boys and girls work under these conditions while
welding pieces of coloured glass to make bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark
than to the light outside. They thus often lose their eyesight at a young age.

Over and above this, it is the apathy and callousness of society and the political class to the
sufferings of the poor that makes us feel sympathetic towards these bangle makers. The
poverty-stricken bangle makers also suffer because of the exploitation at the hands of the
middlemen and politicians. They do not improve their lot and instead get only beaten up by
the police. They are unable to organize themselves. Hence, their life is full of sufferings i.e.
physical and emotional.

Q2. “For the children, it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders, it is a means of
survival.” What kind of life do the rag-pickers of Seemapuri lead? Answer in about
120-150 words.
Ans. Seemapuri is a settlement of ragpickers. It is a place on the outskirts of Delhi. Those
who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh in 1971. They live here without an
identity and permits. They do have ration cards that enable them to vote and buy grain. Food
is more important for them than their identity. Children grow up to become partners in
survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years it has acquired
the ‘proportions of a fine art’. An army of barefoot children appears in the morning with their
plastic bags on their shoulders. They disappear by noon. Garbage has a different meaning
for children. For them, it is wrapped in `wonder’. They may find a rupee even a ten rupee
note or a silver coin. There is always hope of finding more. But Seemapuri is a hell.

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Ragpickers live in structures of mud. They have roofs of tin and tarpaulin. There is no
sewage, drainage or running water. It is unimaginable that it is a part of Delhi.

3. „Grinding poverty and traditions condemn the children of ragpickers or bangle

makers to a life of exploitation. Such children are deprived of all opportunities in life.
Mukesh, who opts out of the existing profession of his forefathers by resolving to
start a new job of a motor mechanic symbolises the modern youth. What lesson do
we learn from Mukesh‟s example?
Ans.No doubt grinding poverty and tradition have condemned the children of ragpickers and
bangle makers to a life of exploitation. The ragpickers’ children have accepted their fate to
be barefoot as their tradition. Similarly, bangle makers persist with bangle making, saying it
is their karma. Their spirits due to constant suppression and servitude make them incapable
of raising their voices against injustice and exploitation.
Mukesh symbolises the modern youth who dares to fight with their destiny and change it. He
has hope and aspiration to do differently and better his future. In spite of the environment, he
is living in, and with no support from his family, Mukesh wants to break the age-old tradition
to work as a bangle maker throughout his life. He wants to be a motor mechanic. This shows
that one should not give up hope even in the worst circumstances and always strive to do
better.
4. „Lost Spring‟ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands
of people to a lift of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
Ans. ‘Lost Spring’ is indeed a description of the grinding poverty and traditions that
condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty.
Saheb, a young ragpicker is doomed to live a miserable life of poverty. He wants to go to
school and play tennis. Due to poverty, he has to even give up his freedom and start working
as a helper at a tea shop. Here he is burdened with the commands of his employer and is
forced to live a miserable life. Another such example is that of Mukesh who belongs to a
bangle makers family in Firozabad. He wants to be a motor mechanic. But his family
traditions and poverty have forced him to work in the inhumane conditions of a bangle
factory, in dark rooms and near hot furnaces.
Thus, the poor and destitute of both Seemapuri and Firozabad are caught in the web of
poverty, servitude, suppression and exploitation.
5. Most of us do not raise our voice against injustice in our society and tend to remain
mute spectators. Anees Jung in her story „Lost Spring‟ vividly highlights the
miserable life of street children and bangle makers of Firozabad. She wants us to act.
Which qualities does she want the children to develop?
Ans. Anees Jung in her story ‘Lost Spring’ analyses the grinding poverty and traditions
which condemn the small children to live a miserable life of exploitation. Street children or
the ragpickers of Seemapuri are forced to either rely on the garbage for their livelihood or
work as labourers. These children live in a condition of extreme exploitation throughout their
lives due to their poverty. Similar is the situation of children from the bangle making families
of Firozabad. Here the children are forced to accept bangle’ making as their doom due to
poverty and family tradition.
The author has also given a story of resistance and fortitude. In spite of the harsh conditions
of poverty and exploitation, there are children like Mukesh who have refused to accept their
fate. They have their ambition to do something different and better. The author stresses the
need to aspire for betterment. No doubt for this one needs to be daring, confident, diligent
and hardworking.
6. Describe the circumstances which keep the workers in the bangle industry in
poverty.
Ans. The bangle makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles. But these people work in a
very unhygienic atmosphere. They work in glass furnaces at high temperatures, in dingy
cells without sufficient air and light. In spite of so much hard work, these people live in a
state of poverty because they work in an unorganized manner and are exploited by the
middlemen. This results in their poor state. Even if they try to get organized, they get beaten
up by the police. They are not able to come out of the vicious circle of their exploiters:

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middlemen, policemen, sahukars, lawmakers, bureaucrats and politicians. They have been
repeatedly exploited physically as well as economically for generations and so are forced to
live a life of poverty.
7. Describe the life of ragpickers at Seemapuri. Why is this place, in spite of being on
the periphery of Delhi, considered miles away from it?
Ans. In 1971, some families migrated from Bangladesh and took refuge, at the outskirt of
Delhi, at a place called Seemapuri. It is a colony where about 10,000 ragpickers and their
families live in structures of mud, with the roof of tin or tarpaulin. They are devoid of basic
facilities like sewage, drainage or running water. They have no identity but a ration card to
have their names on the voters’ list. They have never bothered for their identity because for
them food is the prime focus. Children of these families work as ragpickers and garbage for
them is the only means of survival.
The place Seemapuri, at the periphery of Delhi, the capital of India, yet is miles apart from
Delhi metaphorically. The place is devoid of even basic amenities in contrast to the highly
developed and progressive Delhi.
8. „Saheb is no longer his own master. Mukesh insists on being his own master.‟
Discuss.
Ans. Both Saheb and Mukesh, symbolise the exploited children in India who are forced to
live a life of poverty. Saheb is a ragpicker who lives at Seemapuri. His only means of
survival is garbage. He lives in a subliminal condition. Finally, he starts working at a tea stall
where he completely loses his freedom and childhood. But he has compromised with his
fate. He has accepted his condition and has completely given up himself. Mukesh, on the
other hand, is a boy who also belongs to a very poor family but doesn’t give up and
compromise with circumstances. Though he belongs to a bangle maker’s family and is
destined to work as a bangle maker, he refuses to accept it. He has his own ambition to
become a motor mechanic. He doesn’t want to be dominated and exploited by others. He
wants to be his own master and take his own decisions.
9. The paradoxes of the society that we live in are aptly featured in „Lost
Spring‟.Comment.
Ans. ‘Lost Spring’ is a vivid description of the grinding poverty and tradition that condemn
the children in our country to a life of poverty and exploitation.
Saheb, a small boy, who is a ragpicker and relies on garbage for his living, seems to be very
enthusiastic about going to school. But he never gets this opportunity and his entire
childhood is lost in solving the greatest problem of his life, i.e. to earn a meal. He has to
compromise with his freedom and joy of childhood and works at a tea stall to earn money.
Mukesh, who was born into a bangle maker’s family of Firozabad, wants to be a motor
mechanic. He works in the most hazardous conditions in the glass furnaces with high
temperature and no lights. People of his community are caught in the vicious circle of
sahukars, middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats and politicians. Mukesh wants to be his own
master and do something different.
The story very clearly describes the reality of our society.
10. Justify the title of the story „Lost Spring‟.
Ans. Childhood is considered the spring of human life. It is full of exuberance and
playfulness. But the children of ragpickers of Seemapuri and bangle makers of Firozabad
are deprived of this period; their life. They never enjoy the carefreeness of their childhood.
They have to assist their poor parents in earning their living since the very tender age.
In fact, the story brings out the reality of our society where poor children work as ragpickers
and bangle bakers in inhuman and hazardous conditions. The plight of these children
highlights the apathy of the rich and powerful people of the society who have no concern for
them.
‘Lost Spring’ refers to those moments of childhood which are full of happiness, growth and
carefree spirit and which have been snatched from the children of Seemapuri and
Firozabad. The title justifies the story which makes an effort to sensitize the people towards
these poor children. It emphasizes the need to save the childhood of these poor children and
provide them with their basic rights of a decent life and good education.

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11. “For the children, it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders, it is a means of survival.”
What kind of life do the rag-pickers of Seemapuri lead? Answer in about 120-150
words.
Ans. Seemapuri is a settlement of ragpickers. It is a place on the outskirts of Delhi. Those
who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh in 1971. They live here without an
identity and permits. They do have ration cards that enable them to vote and buy grain. Food
is more mportant for them than their identity. Children grow up to become partners in
survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years it has acquired
the ‘proportions of fine art’. An army of barefoot children appears in the morning with their
plastic bags on their shoulders. They disappear by noon. Garbage has a different meaning
for children. For them, it is wrapped in `wonder’. They may find a rupee even a ten rupee
note or a silver coin. There is always hope of finding more. But Seemapuri is a hell.
Ragpickers live in structures of mud. They have roofs of tin and tarpaulin. There is no
sewage, drainage or running water. It is unimaginable that it is a part of Delhi.

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