3. About the Author:
• Anees Jung(1944-) is an Indian woman writer,
jounalist and a columnist for major newspapers
in India and abroad.
• She was born at Hyderabad and received
education in Hyderabad and in the United
States.
• Her parents were renowned poets.
• She has written several books such as ‘Unveiling
India’, ‘Night of the New Moon’, ‘Seven Sisters’,
and ‘Breaking the Silence’.
4. Introduction:
• The story, “Lost Spring” deals with the deplorable
condition of poor children who get forced to miss the
simple joyful moments of childhood because of their
socio-economic conditions. These children are not
given the opportunity of schooling and are
compelled to start working early in life. The author
Anees Jung strives hard to eliminate child labour
through her book. She propagates the education of
children and enforcement of strict laws against child
labour by the government. The message is to put an
end to child exploitation and let all children enjoy
their days of the spring and joy.
6. Summary:
• I – Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage.
• The first part talks about the writer’s impressions about
the life of the unfortunate rag pickers. The rag pickers
migrate from Dhaka and find a settlement in Seemapuri.
They end up losing their fields and homes due to storms.
They then come to the big city to find a living, but
are poor. The author then watches Saheb, the rag picker,
every morning who is always scrounging for “gold” in her
neighbourhood. Garbage is actually the means of survival
for the elders and it is something wrapped in wonder for
the children.
7. • Sometimes, the children find a coin or two
from it. Even these kids have desires and
ambitions, but they have no clue about how to
achieve them. There are many things that are
unreachable to them, for instance, shoes, tennis
and similar stuff. Later on, Saheb starts working
at a tea stall where he earns 800 Rupees and
also gets to eat all the meals. But the job takes
away his freedom.
8. • II – I want to drive a car.
• The second part is about the life of Mukesh, who
comes from the family of bangle-makers.
Firozabad is quite popular for its glass-blowing
industry. A staggering 20,000 children are a part
of this business and any law that forbids child
labour is brutally ignored here. Also, the working
environment and the living conditions are
pathetic. Children live in dingy cells and work
around hot furnaces that make them blind when
they enter adulthood.
9. • Since they are weighed down by debt, they
cannot think or find any way to escape this trap.
The politicians, policemen, middlemen and
bureaucrats obstruct their way of progress.
Most women in such families think that this is
their fate and just follow the tradition. But
Mukesh is very different from the rest of the
folks there. He has dreams of becoming a
motor mechanic. The garage is quite far from
his house but he shall walk.
10. Some important points:
• ‘Sometimes I find a rupee in garbage’
• The author here is analyzing the poor conditions and
traditions that push children to live a life of
exploitation. They are also denied education and face
hardships quite early in their lives.
• The writer comes across Saheb – a rag picker whose
parents have left Dhaka and their life of poverty to
earn a living in Delhi.
• Just like many other families, even his family lives in
Seemapuri. They don’t own any other identification
other than a ration card.
11. • These children can’t afford to go to school but
get excited when they find a coin or even a ten
rupee note while rummaging in the garbage.
• This is their only way of earning.
• The writer feels awful to see Saheb, a rag picker
whose name also means the ruler of earth. But
the poor child has lost his childhood and roams
barefooted with his friends
12. • Right from morning to afternoon, the author
comes across him in a tea stall. Saheb
becomes sad as he realizes that he is no
longer the master of his own destiny and the
loss of identity weighs heavily on his tender
shoulders.
13. • ‘ I want to drive a car’
• The author sheds light on another victim of
child labour, Mukesh who dreams of becoming
a motor mechanic.
• But the child has always worked in the glass
making industry.
• They get exposed to many health hazards such
as losing their eyesight as they work in appalling
conditions, in dark and dingy cells.
14. • Mukesh’s father is blind and even his father
and grandfather were blind.
• So, the bangle makers of Firozabad are so
burdened that they have stopped dreaming
unlike Mukesh who wants to drive a car.
