Lost Spring

 Lost Spring

Stories of Stolen Childhood

About the Author

Anees Jung (born 1944) was born in Rourkela and grew up in Hyderabad. She studied in Hyderabad and in the United States. Her parents were both writers. She began her career as a writer in India and worked as an editor and columnist for major newspapers in India and abroad. She has written several books. This chapter is an excerpt from her book Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood, where she exposes grinding poverty and customs that trap children in exploitation. 

Expressions in the Text and Their Meanings

These expressions are used in the chapter, and their meaning can be understood from the context: 

looking for → searching for

perpetual state of poverty → a never-ending condition of poverty

slog their daylight hours → work very hard throughout the day

dark hutments → small, poor, dimly lit makeshift huts

roof over his head → a basic shelter/home

imposed the baggage on the child → burdened the child with responsibilities, hardship, and inherited suffering

Summary

Part 1: “Sometimes I find a Rupee in the Garbage”

The chapter begins with Saheb-e-Alam, a ragpicker boy living in Seemapuri, a settlement on the outskirts of Delhi. He has come from Bangladesh after storms destroyed his family’s fields and homes. He and other barefoot boys scavenge in garbage dumps. For them, garbage is not waste; it is a source of hope, food, and sometimes money. The narrator notices how poor children are often seen without footwear and reflects on how poverty becomes accepted as if it were a tradition. 

Saheb dreams of going to school. The narrator jokingly offers to start one, but later feels embarrassed because such promises are rarely fulfilled in his world. Saheb’s name means “lord of the universe,” but his real life is far from that meaning. 

Seemapuri is described as a place without proper identity, drainage, sewage, or running water. Yet people stay there because food is more important than identity. Children grow up as partners in survival, and rag-picking becomes a way of life. Saheb is sometimes excited when he finds coins in garbage because for him it means hope. Later he gets a job at a tea stall, carrying a steel canister instead of a plastic bag. Though he earns money and meals, he loses his carefree independence. The narrator observes sadly that Saheb is no longer his own master. 

Part 2: “I Want to Drive a Car”

The second part focuses on Mukesh, a boy from Firozabad, a town famous for its glass and bangle industry. Mukesh wants to become a motor mechanic and dreams of driving a car. His dream stands out against the dusty, grim reality of the town. Most families in Firozabad are involved in making bangles, and children are forced into this hereditary occupation. 

The chapter describes the dangerous conditions in which bangle workers labor: hot furnaces, dark and airless cells, and long working hours that damage their eyesight. Mukesh’s family is poor, and even though they work hard, they cannot improve their lives. His grandmother believes it is their destiny or karam to remain bangle makers. The chapter shows how caste, poverty, and exploitation trap families generation after generation. 

The narrator also describes Savita, a young girl working with bangles, and an old woman who has spent her life in this trade. Their labor is tied to the Indian symbol of marriage and auspiciousness, but their own lives remain full of hardship and lack of joy. The workers say they know nothing except bangles. 

The narrator blames not only poverty but also the middlemen, police, bureaucrats, and politicians who keep workers trapped in a vicious cycle. The children inherit this burden before they can even understand it. Mukesh, however, shows a spark of resistance. He wants to learn, walk to a garage if needed, and build a different future. His dream is small but real, and the narrator feels encouraged by it. 

Critical Analysis

Lost Spring is a powerful social critique of child labour, poverty, illiteracy, migration, caste oppression, and exploitation. The title itself is meaningful: “spring” symbolizes childhood, joy, and growth, while “lost” suggests that these children have been deprived of their natural right to a carefree life. 

The chapter is not just about two boys. It reveals a larger system in which poverty is inherited, dreams are crushed, and promises from the privileged often remain empty. Anees Jung presents these harsh realities with compassion and poetic language. She contrasts dreams and reality, beauty and misery, and hope and helplessness throughout the chapter. 

The ragpickers of Seemapuri and the bangle workers of Firozabad are both trapped, but in different ways. One group survives by collecting garbage; the other by producing something beautiful they can never truly enjoy. This paradox makes the chapter deeply tragic. 

The chapter also shows that change is possible only when children like Mukesh begin to imagine a different life. His dream of becoming a motor mechanic becomes a symbol of hope against inherited suffering. 

Characters

1. Saheb-e-Alam

Saheb is a ragpicker boy from Bangladesh living in Seemapuri. He is poor, barefoot, and has no stable childhood. He dreams of going to school and later works at a tea stall. He represents the lost innocence and lost freedom of street children. 

2. Mukesh

Mukesh is a boy from Firozabad who wants to become a motor mechanic. Unlike his family, he dares to dream of a different future. He represents hope, courage, and the possibility of breaking the cycle of poverty. 

3. Saheb’s Mother

She explains why the family left Bangladesh after storms destroyed their fields and homes. She represents the helplessness of displaced poor families. 

4. Mukesh’s Grandmother

She believes poverty and the bangle-making profession are part of destiny. She represents traditional acceptance of oppression and fatalism. 

5. Mukesh’s Family

His father, elder brother, sister-in-law, and other family members are all part of the bangle-making trade. They represent inherited labour, poverty, and social limitation. 

6. Savita

Savita is a young girl working on bangles. She symbolizes how even children and girls are pulled into the same cycle of labour before they can fully understand life. 

7. The Narrator

The narrator is observant, sensitive, and compassionate. She connects with the children, asks questions, and reflects critically on society’s failure to protect them. 

Main Themes

Child labour and stolen childhood 

Poverty and migration 

Loss of identity and dignity 

Exploitation in unorganized labour 

Caste and inherited occupation 

Hope through education and dreams 

 

Think as you Read

1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?

Saheb is looking for useful items and money in garbage dumps, which he considers “gold.” He lives in Seemapuri on the outskirts of Delhi. His family migrated from Bangladesh after storms destroyed their fields and homes, forcing them into poverty and rag-picking.

2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?

The author notes that children claim it is a tradition to remain barefoot. However, she questions this explanation and suggests it is actually due to poverty. Many families cannot afford shoes, and the idea of tradition is often used to hide their helpless economic condition.

3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.

No, Saheb is not truly happy. Though he earns money and gets meals, he loses his carefree freedom. Earlier, he roamed independently, but now he works under a master. The steel canister he carries symbolizes the burden of responsibility and loss of childhood.

4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Firozabad is famous for its glass-blowing industry, especially bangles. Most families are engaged in making bangles, and the city supplies them across India. However, behind this beauty lies the harsh reality of child labour, poverty, and exploitation in dangerous working conditions.

5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry.

Workers, including children, face extreme heat from furnaces, poor ventilation, and lack of light. They work long hours in unhealthy conditions, often damaging their eyesight. Many lose vision at a young age. The environment is unsafe and exploitative, affecting their health and future.

6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?

Mukesh refuses to accept his fate as a bangle maker. Unlike his family, who believe in destiny and continue the traditional occupation, he dreams of becoming a motor mechanic. His willingness to learn and walk long distances shows determination to break free from poverty.

Understanding the Text

1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?

People migrate from villages to cities mainly due to poverty, unemployment, and natural disasters. In the chapter, Saheb’s family leaves Bangladesh after storms destroy their fields and homes. Villages often fail to provide stable income, food security, and opportunities. Cities, despite their harsh conditions, offer hope of survival through small jobs like rag-picking or labour work. People are forced to move in search of food, shelter, and a better future. Migration is not a choice but a compulsion driven by economic hardship and environmental factors.

2. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why does this happen in the text?

Yes, promises made to poor children are often not fulfilled. In the story, the narrator casually promises Saheb to open a school, but later realizes it was not serious. Such promises are common in the lives of poor children but rarely materialize. This happens because of lack of real commitment, social neglect, and systemic failure. The privileged often make empty promises without understanding their impact. As a result, poor children continue to live in disappointment, losing trust and hope in society.

3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?

Several forces trap workers in poverty in Firozabad. These include caste-based occupation, where families are bound to bangle-making for generations, and the belief in destiny that discourages change. Middlemen exploit workers by paying low wages, while police, bureaucrats, and politicians maintain the system. Lack of education, awareness, and organization further weakens them. The harsh working conditions and continuous debt create a vicious cycle of poverty. Together, these social, economic, and institutional forces prevent workers from improving their lives.

 “Thinking about the Text” 

1. How can Mukesh realise his dream?

Mukesh can realise his dream through determination, skill learning, and opportunities. He must train in a garage and gain technical knowledge. Support from education and government schemes can help him break the cycle of poverty. His strong will to walk long distances and learn shows he can overcome barriers and become a motor mechanic.

2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry.

Workers face extreme heat, poor ventilation, and dark, unhealthy conditions. Continuous exposure to glass dust damages their lungs and eyes, often causing blindness. Long working hours lead to exhaustion. Lack of safety and medical care worsens their condition. These hazards harm their health and trap them in lifelong poverty and exploitation.

3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Child labour should be eliminated because it steals childhood, education, and future opportunities. Children are forced into exploitation and poverty. It can be stopped through strict laws, free education, awareness, and government support to poor families. Society must refuse to employ children and promote their schooling for a better future.