(LOST SPRING)
This lesson is an excerpt from Anees Jung’s book titled
“Lost Spring”
- She is an Indian writer who meets Saheb and Mukesh
providing vignettes of the boys’ life in poverty.
- She narrates a true perspective of being an under
privileged human, based on her on-on-one conversation
with the boys.
Saheb- The Ragpicker
The writer meets him every morning searching for
money or things in the garbage dumps.
He belongs to a refugee family from Bangladesh.
She advises him to go to school but Saheb
complains of absence of any school in his
neighbourhood.
Unknowingly, the writer raises Saheb’s hopes by
promising to open a school in his locality and
immediately realises how hollow her promise is.
Irony in Saheb’s name
Saheb’s full name is “Saheb-e-Alam” which means, “Lord of the Universe.” But
the boy spends his time “scrounging the garbage” with other ragpickers.
The extreme poverty of the boys is reflected in their going around barefoot-
none of them can afford shoes.
The writer comes to the sad conclusion that being ‘barefoot’ is now a tradition
followed by the extreme poor in India.
Story of a priest’s son
The author is reminded of a priest’s son in Udipi, who walked barefoot 30 years
ago.
The boy’s greatest prayer was to own a pair of shoes.
On her visit after 30 years, the author found that priest’s son now wore shoes-
but the ragpickers still remained shoeless in her neighbourhood.
Seemapuri- the Ragpicker’s Colony
Seemapuri- a place where all Bangladeshis live since 1971. Their homes are structures
of mud, with tin roofs and tarpaulin. There is no sewage, drainage or running water
for the 10,000 ragpickers.
They have been living here for more than 30 years without an identity, without
permits, only ration cards that put their names on voter's lists.
Women in torn sarees, grateful for the ration cards which enable them to buy grain,
which they were deprived of in their own native country of green fields and rivers.
They and their children survive as ragpickers, hoping for a chance to find a rupee or a
coin in the garbage. Ragpicking is their daily bread, a roof over their heads.
Saheb’s desire
For Saheb, like other children of ragpickers, garbage is "wrapped in wonder", where
he sometimes finds a rupee, or even a ten rupee note.
For the elders, ragpicking is a means of survival.
Saheb's desire is to play tennis in tennis shoes, to be able to afford them to enjoy life.
He gets tennis shoes which were cast off by a rich boy. One shoe has a hole in it, but
he is not bothered. But the author doubts, whether he will ever be able to play
tennis.
Saheb’s ventures into a new job
Later Saheb gets a job at a tea stall for Rs 800 per month.
The writer meets him fetching milk in a steel canister for his master.
Did not look happy-burdened and sad.
No more a free bird but a bonded labourer.
Mukesh- A child labourer
Mukesh is a child labourer in a glass factory in Firozabad and wants to drive
a car, be a motor mechanic.
His family is unaware that child labour is illegal and banned by the
Government.
- The working conditions at glass factory are horrible.
- 20,000 children work in high temperatures.
- dingy cells without air and light.
- children lose their eyesight at an early age.
Mukesh- A child labourer
The surrounding where Mukesh lives, has
- Choked, stinking lanes full of garbage.
- Homes that have crumbling walls, wobbly doors, no windows.
- All homes crowded with people and animals living together.
Mukesh's own home is a half-built shack with thatched roof and a wobbly
iron door.
- It is full of large aluminium platters and firewood store.
- Three generations live together-grandmother, father, elder brother and his
wife.
- Elder brother's wife-a young girl-who does all the household chores-looks
after the three men, covers her face before the elders.
Mukesh- A child labourer
Mukesh's father- the head of the family,
- never earned enough to renovate his house or provide education to his two
sons.
- the only art he knew was bangle-making which he handed over to his sons.
Mukesh's grandfather is blind, grandmother – a fatalist
- thinks that their poverty is the result of karma or destiny
- believes bangle making to be god given lineage
- has accepted her husband's blindness as their destiny.
The bangle makers are caught in a vicious circle. Poverty and lack of
education keeps them bound to making bangles. Their children follow the
same profession.
Eyes are more adjusted to darkness than light, they often end up losing their
eyesight before they become adults.
Savita an unmarried girl, makes colourful bangles, without knowing they are
the symbols of Indian women's "Suhaag". An old woman, sitting next to her,
still wears bangles but she is blind. She hasn't eaten one full meal in her
entire life. Her old husband has the only satisfaction of providing his family
with a house to live in.
Young men lack zeal
The writer realises that life has stood still in Firozabad.
The young men lack initiative, ability to dream and are crushed by extreme
poverty.
They are trapped by sahukars, middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of
the law, the bureaucrats and politicians.
The children are caught between two worlds
(i) Poverty and stigma of caste and
(ii) Trapped by all the above, in a hopeless situation.
Burdened by the above two, courage to resist is lost, cannot dare to dream.
Mukesh- An aspirant Youngster
Only Mukesh is different.
He dares, aspires to become a motor mechanic.
His dreams are reasonable, attainable, he doesn't dream of flying an
aeroplane.
The writer comments ironically that "Few planes fly over Firozabad."
Comment on the ending
When Anees Jung says that “few planes fly over Firozabad,” she highlights
how isolated and neglected the city is. The phrase suggests that Firozabad
lies far away from development, progress, and modern facilities. It
symbolizes the backwardness and lack of opportunities in the lives of the
bangle-makers. Their world remains untouched by growth, just like the sky
above them remains untouched by airplanes.
Title
This title ‘Lost Spring’ has symbolic meaning. Spring is the
best season, best period of year; similarly, childhood is the
best period of life. So, here ‘Lost Spring’ means lost
childhood, the childhood which has been lost, which has
been snatched, exploited, curtailed and thrown into the
dungeons of poverty. ‘Stories of stolen childhood’ means
stories of the exploited childhood or stories of the children
who were exploited and were deprived of their childhood.
Character Sketch: Saheb
Saheb is a young ragpicker from Seemapuri whose life reflects the harsh reality of
poverty and lost childhood. He is innocent, hopeful and full of unfulfilled dreams,
symbolised by his longing to go to school and play tennis. Although he searches for
“gold” in garbage dumps, his smile shows a natural cheerfulness untouched by
despair. Saheb represents thousands of children denied basic rights and forced
into labour by circumstances. His name—Saheb-e-Alam, meaning ‘Lord of the
Universe’—ironically contrasts with his life of deprivation. Even when he gets a job
at a tea stall, the loss of freedom and joy in his eyes shows how employment
without choice still feels like bondage. Saheb embodies crushed potential and the
tragedy of broken childhoods.
Character Sketch: Mukesh
Mukesh is a young boy from Firozabad who dares to dream beyond the traditional
occupation of bangle-making. Unlike others trapped in generations of poverty and
exploitation, Mukesh shows determination and a desire to break the cycle. His
dream of becoming a motor mechanic reflects courage, hope, and the willingness
to work hard for a better future. Despite living in a cramped, unhealthy
environment surrounded by dust and glass, Mukesh remains optimistic and
curious. He confidently says he will learn to drive a car, showing his belief in self-
improvement. Though restricted by his family’s circumstances, he refuses to let
despair overpower him. Mukesh represents the possibility of change and the
strength of dreams in a world filled with hopelessness.
Narrative technique
Anees Jung writes in the first person, allowing readers to experience the children’s
lives through her eyes. The chapter is structured into vignettes, each focusing on a
different child, which makes the narrative intimate and emotionally powerful.
Jung combines dialogue, descriptive details, and irony to highlight exploitation and
lost childhoods. Her tone is sympathetic yet unsettling, forcing readers to confront
social injustice. This mix of storytelling and social commentary gives the chapter
both authenticity and emotional depth, making the plight of Saheb and Mukesh
unforgettable.
Questions
Both The Last Lesson and Lost Spring show how systems of power- whether colonial or economic- deny
people their basic rights, like education.
Discuss how these stories highlight the relationship between education, freedom and dignity in people’s
lives. Use textual evidence to support your response.
Ans- Both stories powerfully show how systems of power rob people of education, taking away their
freedom and dignity.
In “The Last Lesson”, French colonizers ban the French language in Alsace, forcing German on the people.
M. Hamel says, "When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they
had the key to their prison." This shows education and language connect directly to freedom. Without
their own language, people lose their identity and dignity.
In “Lost Spring”, Mukesh dreams of becoming a motor mechanic, but poverty traps him in bangle-
making. Saheb collects garbage instead of going to school. The narrator notes how these children are
caught in a "vicious circle" of poverty. Economic exploitation steals their childhood and right to
education, keeping them powerless.
The stories prove that denying education means denying freedom and human dignity. Education
liberates people from oppression, whether colonial or economic.
In Lost Spring, how does the story of Saheb highlight the contrast between dreams and reality.
Ans- Saheb's story painfully shows the gap between dreams and reality. His name means "lord of the
universe," suggesting grand possibilities, yet he spends his childhood barefoot, scrounging through
garbage heaps. When asked about school, he says he would go if one existed, revealing his dream of
education. However, poverty crushes this hope. Eventually, he works at a tea stall, losing even the
freedom he had while ragpicking, symbolizing how harsh reality destroys innocent dreams.
What forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans- Workers in Firozabad have been involved in bangle making for ages. All their efforts and courage to
move out of this profession turned futile as they have been caught in a “vicious circle” of middlemen,
sahukars and other bureaucrats. The caste system forces families into this hereditary occupation for
generations. Workers cannot organize or protest due to fear. Children like Mukesh remain trapped,
losing their dreams and health to dangerous work that causes blindness.
I will learn to drive a car," he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage
amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India's glass-blowing industry where families
have spent generations working around furnaces, wielding glass, making bangles for all the women in
the land it seems. Mukesh's family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like
him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the
law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their
daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh's eyes beam as he volunteers to take
me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt.
I. What does Mukesh dream of learning to do?
(A) Make bangles
(B) Drive a car
(C) Work in a glass factory
(D) Open a shop
I will learn to drive a car," he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage
amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India's glass-blowing industry where families
have spent generations working around furnaces, wielding glass, making bangles for all the women in
the land it seems. Mukesh's family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like
him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the
law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their
daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh's eyes beam as he volunteers to take
me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt.
II. What is the significance of Firozabad in India?
(A) It is known for its educational institutions.
(B) It is a major tourist destination.
(C) It is the capital city of India.
(D) It is famous for its glass-blowing industry.
I will learn to drive a car," he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage
amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India's glass-blowing industry where families
have spent generations working around furnaces, wielding glass, making bangles for all the women in
the land it seems. Mukesh's family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like
him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the
law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their
daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh's eyes beam as he volunteers to take
me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt.
III. What challenge does Mukesh and the other children face while working in the glass furnaces?
(A) They do not receive proper wages.
(B) They work in dangerous, unhealthy conditions.
(C) They have to work long hours without breaks.
(D) They are not allowed to attend school.
I will learn to drive a car," he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage
amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India's glass-blowing industry where families
have spent generations working around furnaces, wielding glass, making bangles for all the women in
the land it seems. Mukesh's family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like
him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the
law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their
daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh's eyes beam as he volunteers to take
me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt.
IV. What illegal aspect of child labour is highlighted in the passage?
I will learn to drive a car," he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage
amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India's glass-blowing industry where families
have spent generations working around furnaces, wielding glass, making bangles for all the women in
the land it seems. Mukesh's family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like
him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the
law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their
daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh's eyes beam as he volunteers to take
me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt.
V. What does Mukesh's pride in his home signify about his character?
I will learn to drive a car," he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage
amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in
Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India's glass-blowing industry where families
have spent generations working around furnaces, wielding glass, making bangles for all the women in
the land it seems. Mukesh's family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like
him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the
law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their
daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh's eyes beam as he volunteers to take
me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt.
VI. Complete the sentence suitably. Mukesh's eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home, which he
proudly says is being rebuilt, showing that ________________.