HINDUSTANI KENDRIYA

VIDYALAYA

THIS PROJECT IS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL

FULFILMENT OF REQUIREMENT FOR THE
AISSCE 2024-25

TOPIC -> LOST SPRING

SUBMITTED BY-

NAME : NEEL DUTTA

CLASS : XII[SCI] , ROLL NO : 28

ASSIGNED BY : MRS PUNU BEGUM

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my

teacher Mrs. Punu Begum who gave me the golden opportunity
to do this wonderful project of English on “LOST SPRING” , who
also helped me in completing my project . I came to know
about so many new things , I am really thankful to her .
Secondly I would also like to extend my gratitude to my parents
and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this project within
the limited time frame.
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that MST. NEEL DUTTA of XII (SCI) has

successfully completed the project of English on the topic
“ LOST SPRING” under my supervision. He has taken proper
care and showed utmost sincerity in completion for this project
during the academic year 2024-25.

I certify that this project is upto my expectation and as per

guidelines issued by CBSE in partial fulfilment for the academic
year 2024-25.

SIGN OF PRINCIPAL SIGN OF TEACHER

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE

HINDUSTANI KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA TINSUKIA

ASSAM - 786125
 CONTENT
 MIND MAP

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR (Anees Jung)

 CHARACTERS

 THEMES

 SUB THEMES

 LITERARY DEVICES USED

 CONCLUSION
  MIND MAP
 Main characters
Saheb-e-Alam , a ragpicker
Mukesh , a bangle maker
Savita , a young bangle maker

 Setting
The story is set in slum
areas of Delhi and Firozabad

 Background
The story is set in slum areas of Seemapuri , Delhi and
Firozabad , city famous for bangle making. The story is about
people who reside there and their traits and tribulations in life

 Theme

The chapter is about lost childhood and lack of oppurtunities

for young people entrapped by grinding poverty and traditions
which condemns them to a life of misery
 EVENTS

1) Saheb-e-Alam a ragpicker in Seemapuri scrounges for gold in

the garbage dumps along with a group of boys.

2) He is one of many who had come from Bangladesh and now

live in cramped quarters devoid of all facilities except ration
cards that enable them to get food.

3) These ragpickers consider garbage gold because for it’s a

means of survival.

4) Most families in Firozabad are involved in bangle making

believing it as God given lineage , their destiny.

5) They live in stinking lanes choked with garbage , houses with

crumbling walls , wobbly doors and windows where humans
and animals coexist.

6) Mukesh,a bangle maker from Firozabad , centre of India’s

glass blowing industry , dreams of being a mechanic,He is only
few of the hopeful ones who dare to dream.

7) Bangle-makers do not organise themselves into a

cooperative as they have no leader among them and no one
take initiative for the fear of police.

8) These people are caught in web of poverty and vicious cycle

of sahukars,middleman,policemen and politicians.
  AUTHOR OF THE STORY– ANEES
JUNG

 Some of her renowned works

Unveiling India : A Womens’s Journey

Seven sisters : Among the women of South Asia

Beyond The Courtyard

Taj Mahal

Dream VS Reality

Olives from Jericho : Peace in Winter Gardens

Breaking the silence : Voices of Women from Around the World

Ordinary peoplr , extraordinary Lives : Peace in Winter Gardens

  CHARACTERS
1) Saheb-e-Alam:
A young boy, who symbolizes the lost childhood of many. Once hopeful, Saheb
gradually realizes the harshness of his reality as a ragpicker, his journey from
Dhaka to Seemapuri shows the displacement caused by political and economic
instability, and how it affects the dreams and futures of children like him.
At the end of the story, when Saheb gets a job at a tea stall, he feels a sense of
loss. Though he earns a regular income, the burden of responsibility weighs him
down, making him lose his earlier sense of freedom.

2) Mukesh:
Mukesh represents hope in the face of adversity. Though born into a family of
bangle-makers, Mukesh is determined to break free from this cycle of poverty and
dangerous work, his aspiration to become a car mechanic shows a defiance of
tradition and a strong will to build a
different future for himself.
Unlike Saheb, Mukesh is more practical, and
his dream symbolizes resilience amidst
generational poverty and child labor.

3) Ragpickers of Seemapuri:
The community of ragpickers reflects the large-scale poverty and migration issues
in India. They are the invisible workforce, surviving on the garbage of the city,
often ignored by the rest of society.
Their lives are governed by the uncertainty of daily survival, where education and
dreams take a back seat to basic needs like food and shelter.
Despite these conditions, the children of Seemapuri, like Saheb, still have fleeting
dreams — dreams that slowly fade with the burden of responsibility.

4) Bangle-makers of Firozabad:

Firozabad, a place known for its glass industry, traps generations of families in
bangle-making. These workers are exploited, earning meager wages while
working in hazardous conditions.
The families have been doing this work for centuries, unable to break free from
the cycle of poverty and oppression. The workers are unaware of their rights and
have accepted their fate.
Mukesh’s family is part of this tradition, yet Mukesh dreams of a different life,
one that does not involve the hazardous work of bangle-making .
  THEMES

1)Poverty:

The root cause of the

struggles faced by Saheb and
Mukesh. The story reflects
how poverty shapes lives and
limits the dreams of millions
of children in India.
Saheb’s family has fled from
Dhaka due to poverty and political instability, only to find themselves
in another cycle of poverty in Seemapuri. Mukesh’s family in
Firozabad, a place known for bangle-making, continues their
generational
work for
survival,
trapped by
poverty.

2) Child Labor:
A significant aspect of the story, highlighting the widespread issue of
children forced to work at a young age. Their education and future are
sacrificed due to the immediate need for survival.
Saheb is seen as a ragpicker, scavenging for a livelihood, while Mukesh
works in the hazardous glass-blowing industry.
 Anees Jung brings attention to how child labor is normalized in these
communities, preventing the children from pursuing education and
personal growth.

3) Exploitation:
The story sheds light on the exploitation of both children and adults.
The slum-dwellers and factory workers live in miserable conditions,
constantly exploited by the system.
In Seemapuri, families live without access to basic amenities, surviving
by sifting through garbage. Similarly, in Firozabad, generations of
families are exploited by the glass-blowing industry, working in unsafe
conditions for meager wages.
The cycle of exploitation is perpetuated, leaving these families with no
means of escape.

4) Dreams and
Aspirations:
The contrast between
the harsh realities of life and the innocent dreams of children is a
recurring theme.
Saheb dreams of playing tennis and owning shoes like the rich boys,
yet his dreams are fleeting due to his socio-economic status.
Mukesh is determined to become a car mechanic, despite being
trapped in the family tradition of bangle-making. His resilience stands
out as he actively pursues a future different from his present.
  SUB THEMES

1. Loss of Childhood
One of the key sub-themes is the loss of innocence and childhood. In
“Lost Spring,” the children are denied their fundamental right to a
carefree childhood. Rather than spending time in school or playing,
they are forced into labor.
Saheb, who once dreamt of going to school, ends up working as a
ragpicker. His childhood is sacrificed due to economic pressures, and
he eventually stops dreaming altogether. His innocence fades as he
transitions from a free, albeit poor, child to a worker at a tea stall. This
symbolizes the end of his carefree days and the onset of harsh
responsibilities.
Similarly, Mukesh works in a dangerous environment, where the very
act of creating something as beautiful as bangles becomes a symbol of
the oppressive system that exploits child labor.

2. Social Inequality
Social inequality is another significant sub-theme explored in the
story. The children, like Saheb and Mukesh, are born into marginalized
and impoverished families. They are unable to break free from the
cycle of poverty, primarily because of the lack of access to education,
healthcare, and basic human rights.
In Seemapuri, where Saheb lives, there is a stark contrast between the
lives of the wealthy in Delhi and the lives of the slum-dwellers. Saheb
dreams of owning a pair of shoes or playing tennis, simple desires that
seem unattainable in his social context.
In Firozabad, social inequality manifests itself through the hereditary
nature of the bangle-making industry. Generations of families are
forced into this trade, with no means of improving their social or
economic status. This inequality is not only economic but also cultural,
where traditions perpetuate the exploitation of workers.
3. Deprivation of Education
The deprivation of education is a crucial sub-theme that ties into the
larger issue of child labor. Education is often seen as the way out of
poverty, but for the children in “Lost Spring,” it remains a distant
dream.
Saheb, when asked about going to school, says he would love to, but
there’s no money for it. Instead, he works as a ragpicker to support his
family, robbing him of the opportunity for education. Without formal
education, these children remain trapped in their socio-economic
conditions.
Mukesh wants to become a car mechanic, but his prospects are
limited due to the lack of proper education and training. Although he
is determined, the sub-theme of education deprivation serves as a
reminder of how difficult it is for children to rise above their
circumstances when they are denied the most basic tools for
empowerment.

4. Generational Poverty
The story touches on generational poverty, showing how the cycle of
poverty is passed down from one generation to the next. In Firozabad,
families have been engaged in bangle-making for generations, without
any improvement in their standard of living.
Mukesh’s family, like many others in the region, is trapped in this
cycle of poverty. They work in hazardous conditions, but their earnings
are so meager that they can barely make ends meet. This lack of
upward mobility is one of the tragic aspects of generational poverty,
where families cannot break free from the constraints placed upon
them by their socio-economic circumstances.
The story points out that this cycle is not just economic, but also
mental and cultural. The children are born into an environment where
they are expected to follow in their parents' footsteps, and there is
little scope for change or advancement.
5. Exploitation and the Vicious Cycle of Labor
Another sub-theme is the vicious cycle of labor and exploitation,
where children are forced to work at a young age and become part of
a system that continues to exploit them throughout their lives.
In Seemapuri, Saheb and the other ragpickers are part of an informal
economy where they have no rights or protection. Their work is not
valued, and they are paid very little, leaving them with no alternative
but to continue this work to survive. The story reveals the invisible
exploitation that exists in urban India, where children’s labor is
devalued.
In Firozabad, workers in the bangle-making industry are similarly
exploited. They work in unsafe conditions, exposed to hazardous
materials, yet their wages are minimal. There is also an element of
exploitation by tradition, where families are expected to continue
working in this trade, even though it offers no real economic benefit.

6. Powerlessness and Helplessness

The sub-theme of powerlessness runs throughout the story,
illustrating how the characters feel trapped in their situations. They
are often helpless to change their circumstances due to systemic and
social pressures.
Saheb represents this helplessness, as he tries to find small joys in his
bleak reality. Even when he gets a job at a tea stall, it doesn’t bring
him any happiness, as he realizes that his situation has changed little.
He is still bound by the same system that keeps him poor and deprived
of opportunity.
Mukesh’s family in Firozabad is similarly powerless. Despite working
long hours in the bangle industry, they remain at the mercy of
middlemen and factory owners who exploit their labor. They have no
power to demand better wages or working conditions, leaving them
trapped in a never-ending cycle of work and poverty.
7. Migration and Displacement
Migration and displacement are also explored as sub-themes in “Lost
Spring.” Saheb’s family migrates from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to
Seemapuri in search of a better life, but they end up in a slum where
they are no better off than before.
Migration here is presented as an economic necessity, driven by
poverty and political unrest, but it doesn’t always offer the
improvement in living conditions that people seek. Instead, families
like Saheb’s are often displaced to areas where they continue to face
hardship and deprivation.
This sub-theme speaks to the larger issue of urbanization and the
migration crisis in India, where millions of people move to cities in
search of better opportunities, only to find themselves living in slums
without access to basic amenities.

8. The Role of Women

The role of women in both Seemapuri and Firozabad highlights the
gendered aspect of poverty and exploitation. Women in these
communities often work alongside men, yet they receive little
recognition for their contributions.
In Firozabad, women like Mukesh’s mother work in bangle-making but
are burdened with domestic responsibilities as well. They play a crucial
role in supporting the family, but their work is often undervalued,
both economically and socially.
This sub-theme draws attention to the invisible labor of women in
impoverished communities, where they work tirelessly in both the
home and workplace but remain largely unacknowledged.
9. Dreams vs. Reality
A recurring sub-theme is the contrast between dreams and reality.
The children in the story, especially Saheb and Mukesh, have dreams
and aspirations, but they are constantly confronted by the harsh
reality of their circumstances.
Saheb dreams of going to school, owning new shoes, and playing
tennis. However, the reality is that he is a ragpicker, and his dreams
are fleeting. He eventually gives up on his dreams as he becomes more
aware of his limitations.
Mukesh, on the other hand, dreams of becoming a car mechanic. His
determination sets him apart from Saheb, but the reality of his life in
Firozabad, working in the bangle industry, presents significant
obstacles to achieving this dream.
The sub-theme emphasizes the gap between the aspirations of the
poor and their lived experiences, showing how systemic and social
barriers prevent them from achieving their goals.
  LITERARY DEVICES
USED

1. Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things
without using "like" or "as."
Example: "Saheb-e-Alam, which means lord of the universe, is
reduced to a ragpicker."

2. Simile
A simile is a comparison between two things using "like" or "as."
Example: "Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi, yet miles
away from it, metaphorically."

3. Irony
Irony involves a contrast between expectation and reality, often to
highlight an underlying truth or discrepancy.
Example: Saheb’s name, "Saheb-e-Alam" (lord of the universe), is
ironic, as he is not a powerful figure but a poor ragpicker. His grand
name is a stark contrast to his actual life.

4. Symbolism
Symbolism uses objects, characters, or events to represent deeper
meanings or abstract concepts.
Example: Garbage symbolizes hope and survival for the ragpickers. For
them, it represents their livelihood, and they see it as valuable,
despite its association with waste.

5. Imagery
Imagery refers to vivid descriptions that appeal to the senses, helping
readers visualize scenes and understand the characters' experiences
more fully.
Example: "The ground they walk on is muddy, with holes and patches,
a landscape of utter poverty."
6. Repetition
Repetition is the intentional reuse of a word or phrase for emphasis.
Example: "Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage. Sometimes even a
ten-rupee note."

7. Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition places two contrasting ideas or situations side by side to
highlight their differences.
Example: The wealth and prosperity of Delhi is juxtaposed with the
poverty and misery of Seemapuri. The story frequently contrasts the
luxurious lives of the rich with the suffering of the poor.

8. Personification
Personification gives human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract
ideas.
Example: "Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the
years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art."

9. Hyperbole
Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken
literally.
Example: "For the children, it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders, it
is a means of survival."

10. Oxymoron
Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in
conjunction.
Example: "Saheb’s face is radiant with his innocence, but it is a tragic
glow."
  CONCLUSION

“Lost Spring" by Anees Jung highlights the tragic loss

of childhood and the harsh realities faced by
impoverished children in India. Through the stories of
Saheb, a ragpicker, and Mukesh, a bangle-maker, the
narrative exposes the deep-rooted issues of child
labor, poverty, and social inequality. Both boys
dream of better futures, but they are trapped in a
vicious cycle of exploitation and deprivation. The
story poignantly emphasizes the need for education,
freedom, and systemic change to break the chains of
poverty and ensure a brighter future for these
children.