Introduction

“Lost Spring” is a short story by Anees Jung that is part of the Class 12 CBSE/RBSE English curriculum. It explores themes of poverty, child labor, and the desire for a better life.

Summary

The story is set in a small town in India, where a young boy named Saheb and his mother live as ragpickers. They scavenge for discarded items to make a meager living. Saheb is from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and his family had migrated to India in search of a better life. However, they find themselves stuck in a cycle of poverty.

Another character, Mukesh, is introduced. He’s a local boy who is fascinated by the goldsmith’s shop nearby. Mukesh’s father works there, and he dreams of becoming a coppersmith.

The story highlights the stark contrast between Saheb’s life as a ragpicker and Mukesh’s aspirations. Saheb longs for an education and a normal childhood, but circumstances force him into child labor. Mukesh, on the other hand, has the opportunity for a brighter future.

The narrative underscores the harsh realities of child labor, social inequality, and the exploitation of the poor. It also portrays the dreams and aspirations of these children, emphasizing the importance of education and equal opportunities for all.

“Lost Spring” serves as a powerful commentary on the socio-economic disparities in society and the dreams that often remain unfulfilled due to circumstances beyond one’s control.

Theme

The central theme of “The Lost Spring” by Anees Jung revolves around the impact of poverty and social inequality on the lives of individuals, particularly children. Here are some key themes in the story:

1. Poverty: Poverty is a pervasive theme in the story, as it affects the lives of Saheb and his mother, who work as rag pickers. Their daily struggles and hardships highlight the harsh realities faced by the impoverished in society.

2. Migration: The story also explores the theme of migration, as Saheb’s family had moved from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to India in search of a better life. Their migration reflects the hopes and dreams of many who seek economic improvement but often find themselves trapped in poverty.

3. Childhood Dreams: The story contrasts the dreams and aspirations of children like Saheb and Mukesh. Saheb longs for an education and a better future, while Mukesh dreams of becoming a coppersmith. The theme of childhood dreams highlights the universal desire for a brighter future, regardless of one’s background.

4. Social Inequality: A significant theme in the story is social inequality. It shows how children from disadvantaged backgrounds have limited access to opportunities and are often forced into child labor. The story sheds light on the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities in society.

5. Lost Opportunities: The title, “The Lost Spring,” suggests the idea of lost opportunities. Saheb’s inability to attend school and pursue his dreams represents the many lost opportunities that marginalized children face due to poverty and social inequality.

In essence, the story highlights the harsh realities of poverty and social injustice while underscoring the importance of addressing these issues to ensure that every child has a chance to realize their dreams and potential.

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Flamingo English Chapter 2 (Lost Spring)

Q1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?

Ans. Saheb is a ragpicker and he looks for valuable items of day to day life in the garbage dumps, which can be sold or reused by them. Sometimes he finds a silver coin, even a ten rupee note in the garbage. As there is always hope of finding more, he search es through the garbage. He is in Seemapuri, a place located in the outskirts of Delhi. Saheb has come from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Q2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?

Ans. The author comes across many shoeless rag picker children in her neighbourhood. According to her, one explanation of this state of being barefoot is that it is a tradition among the people of his community. However, the author quickly mentions that calling it a tradition could be just a means of justification of the extreme state of poverty where they are unable to afford footwear and other basic necessities.

Q3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.

Ans. No. Saheb seems not to be happy working at the tea stall. Though he is paid 800 rupees and all his meals, he seems to have lost his freedom. His face has lost his carefree look that he had when he was working as a ragpicker. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he used to carry. He is no longer his own master but a mer e servant at the tea stall where the owner of the stall control all his movements.

Q4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

A. Firozabad is famous for the glass bangles produced in the city. The place is known as the centre of India’s glass blowing industry.

Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans. The bangle makers face many problems while working in the glassblowing industry. They have ty of air and to work with furnaces with high temperature in dark dingy cells without proper facili light. The dust from polishing the bangles is injurious to eyes. The people, especially children working in the industry often lose their eyesight before they become adults. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. Apart from that people also suffer from lung and heart diseases later in their lives after working at the hot environment.

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

Ans. Mukesh dares to dream and has a way out of h is situation. He aspires to become a motor mechanic. On the other hand, his family is too tired and scared to do something to come out of their grim situation

Understanding the text:

Q1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?

Ans. People migrate from villages to cities in search of a better life. They want to earn money so that they can lead a good life and rear their children in a better way. As cities have more opportunities for work, this makes them migrate from the villages to the big cities.

Q2. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?

Ans. Yes, I agree that the promises made to poor children are rarely kept. In the story the writer jokingly offers the rag picker boy to join a school that she would open. In fact, she does not intend to open a school. She speaks mindlessly but the boy takes i t to be true and later asks her if the school has opened. There are many such hollow promises in the boy’s life because the person who makes the promise never intends to fulfil it.

Q3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?

Ans. The writer tells us that the bangle makers of Firozabad are poverty stricken. They are burdened by the fact of the particular caste in which they are born i.e., the caste of bangle makers. They have to continue the traditional profes sion. Further, the society has formed a harsh circle around them. The sahukars, middlemen, policemen, law keepers, officers and politicians altogether form a barrier around them and tie them in the grip of poverty. They cannot escape from it.

Q4. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?

Ans. Mukesh dares to dream and wants to become a motor mechanic. He wants to drive cars too. He has taken the initial step by aspiring to do something different from the family business. I think that Mukesh can re alize his dream with determination and hard work.

Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans. In the chapter “Lost Spring” by Anees Jung, the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry are implied. Saheb’s mother works in confined, unhygienic conditions, likely inhaling glass dust, which can lead to respiratory problems. The absence of safety measures and protective gear puts workers at risk of injuries from handling glass bangles and wires. Additionally, the presence of child labor in the industry raises concerns about the safety and well-being of young workers. These hazards underscore the challenges faced by marginalized individuals in unsafe work environments.

Q6. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Ans. Forcing a child to work is a crime. This is so in order to prevent exploitation of children. If forced to work, Children cannot enjoy their childhood. They cannot get proper education. Also, when they are forced into hazardous works, they get ailments at a young age. This destro ys their future. Their parents overlook all these facts as they need money. So, the government has to become proactive and take measures to check child labour and enforce the law strictly

Extra Questions and Answers of Lost Spring Chapter by Aneesh Jung

Short Answer type questions

Q1.Who was Saheb? What was his full name? What was the irony about his name?

Ans.Saheb was a poor ragpicker. His full name was Saheb-e-Alam. The meaning of his full name was the lord of the universe. But the poor boy had no economic assistance to fullfill his basic needs like food, shelter,clothes and other necessities like basic education. Thus there was a deep irony in his name, and as the author said that it would be hard for him to believe it.

Q2. What has Saheb’s mother told him about their coming to the big city?

Ans.Saheb’s mother told gim that their home used to be in the green fields od Dhaka. There were many storms which swept away their homes and fields. As they did not have enough to sur they left their country and came to the big city looking for livelihood. vive,

Q3.Where have the people living in Seemapuri come from? Why do not they want to go back?

Ans.The people living in Seemapuri have come from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Though the land i s beautiful and have rivers and green fields, their homes and fields have been destroyed by frequent storms. They get no food to feed themselves and their children. Therefore they do not want to go back to the same state where they cannot feed their family well.

Q4.What does garbage mean for the eldrlers and the children in Seemapuri?

Or

“Garbage to them is gold.” Why does the author say so about the ragpickers.

Ans.Garbage to the elders is gold as it helps them earning their daily bread. It means a roof o ver their heads. For them it is a means of survival. But for the children it is even more. For them, it is a thing wrapped in wonder as they sometimes find a silver coin or a ten rupee note in the garbage. They find enough reason to scrunge through the gar bage cans.

Q5. What kind of locality does Mukesh live in?

Ans.Mukesh lives in a very dirty locality. The lanes of that locality is stinking as they are choked with garbage. The homes look like hovels. Their walls are crumbling and they have wobbly doors an d there no windows. The houses are so small that men and animals live in them together.

Q6. What does Mukesh’s grandmother say about her husband?

Ans.Mukesh’s grandmother says that her husband belonged to a family of bangle makers. She calls it a god n lineage. It could not be broken. Her husband went blind with the dust from the polishing of bangles. She calls it his “karma” or destiny.

Q7. Why do not the poor bangle makers organise themselves into a cooperative

A.The poor bangle makers do not organise themselves into a cooperative because of the cruel circle of the middlemen. They do not let them to form a cooperative. They use their money as a power and put police after them. They are caught and beaten by the police. They are put into the jail on false charges of illegal acts. The poor bangle makers also have no leader to guide them.

Q8.How does the author describe Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi?

Ans.Seemapuri is a slum area, a place situated on the periphery of Delhi. There are ab out 10,000 rag pickers live there. They live in houses that are mere structures of mud which have roofs of tin and tarpaulin. There is no sewage, drainage or running water facility available in Seemapuri. The people who live here came from Bangladesh in 197 1 have no identity card or permits. But they have ration cards which allow them to have their names on the voters’ list. The people living in Seemapuri live in a very pathetic condition where they are mostly dependent on rag picking as the source of their income.

Q9.Write a brief note on the town of Firozabad.

Ans. Firozabad is a town in India. It is famous for its bangles. Every other family here is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glassblowing industry. The families living in Firozabad have been working around glass furnaces for generations. They weld glass and make bangles which are used by women of the country where these people have always been very poor. They have to work in high temperatures in dingy cells without proper ventilation. There are around 20,000 children working in the glass blowing industry where they have to work all day in those dark places. Because of this reason, their eyes get more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside and many of them lose their eyesight even before they become adults. The poor bangle makers lead a miserable life. They are exploited by the middlemen, policemen, sahukars, bureaucrats and politicians.

Q10. What does the title “Lost Spring” convey?

Ans.Spring is a season which symbolises youth and happiness. The poets have used the term spring to convey a happy state or a person during his youth. Youth is considered to be happiest phase of human life. But here in the lesson, the writer has described the stories of children belonging to two areas of India where they are living in a pathetic condition and are deprived of the basis necessities like food, cloth and shelter. They are engaged in different petty jobs which provide them very little money with which they try to survive. They are too poor to avail basic education unlike children of their age. Thus through the title “Lost Spring” the writer wants to convey the dark and dreary life of the slum dwellers like Saheb and Mukesh.

Character Sketch of Saheb e Alam (Lost Spring)

Saheb is a central character in Anees Jung’s short story “Lost Spring.” Here’s a character sketch of Saheb e Alam:

Name: Saheb e Alam

Background: Saheb is a young boy who, along with his mother, is a migrant from Dhaka, Bangladesh, living in the town of Seemapuri in India. They are part of the impoverished community of ragpickers.

Appearance: While specific physical details about Saheb’s appearance are not provided in the story, it is evident that he is living in poverty, wearing worn and shabby clothes that are typical of his marginalized background.

Personality:Saheb’s character is marked by resilience and a strong desire for education. Despite his challenging circumstances, he harbors dreams of attending school and learning English. He exhibits determination and a longing for a better life.

Aspirations:Saheb’s primary aspiration is to receive an education and escape the life of a ragpicker. He is intrigued by the world of books and education, symbolized by discarded textbooks he collects.

Challenges: Saheb faces numerous challenges, including poverty, the harsh realities of rag picking, and the lack of opportunities for formal education due to his family’s economic constraints.

Symbolism: Saheb’s character symbolizes the lost potential of many marginalized children who are denied access to education and a chance for a better future due to poverty and social inequality.

Impact on the Story: Saheb’s character serves as a lens through which the author explores themes of poverty, child labor, the desire for education, and the harsh conditions faced by migrants. His story highlights the struggles of those living on the fringes of society and emphasizes the importance of addressing social disparities.

Character Sketch of Mukesh (Lost Spring)

Mukesh is a character in Anees Jung’s short story “Lost Spring.” Here’s a character sketch of Mukesh:

Name: Mukesh

Background: Mukesh is a local boy living in the town of Seemapuri in India. He comes from a humble background but is not as impoverished as Saheb and his mother. Mukesh’s father works as a coppersmith in a nearby shop.

Personality: Mukesh is curious, ambitious, and optimistic. He is fascinated by the goldsmith’s shop and the craftsmanship involved in making bangles. He dreams of becoming a coppersmith like his father.

Aspirations: Mukesh aspires to work in the goldsmith’s shop and learn the craft of making bangles. His dreams represent the possibility of upward mobility for children from working-class families in the town.

Challenges: Mukesh, while more fortunate than Saheb, still faces the challenges of growing up in a modest environment. However, he has access to education and has the opportunity to pursue his dreams.

Symbolism: Mukesh’s character symbolizes the hopes and aspirations of children in impoverished communities who see opportunities for advancement through hard work and dedication.

Impact on the Story: Mukesh’s character serves as a contrast to Saheb. While Saheb represents the struggles of poverty and child labor, Mukesh embodies the potential for a better life through education and skill development. His story highlights the importance of access to education and opportunities for socio-economic mobility.