LOST SPRING STORIES OF STOLEN CHILDHOOD COMPREHENSIVE NOTES

THEMES:
Loss of Childhood and Innocence:
The central theme is the heartbreaking loss of childhood. Both Saheb and Mukesh are forced to earn a
living at an age meant for school and play. The title “Lost Spring” itself reflects this — the season of youth is
lost for them. They are deprived of education, leisure, and the simple joys of childhood. Saheb dreams of
going to school and playing tennis but ends up scavenging garbage and serving tea to survive. The
narrative powerfully highlights how child labour replaces schooling, turning a national concern into a deeply
personal tragedy. “Millions of children like Saheb and Mukesh experience no spring in their lives, for their
childhood is consumed in making a living.” Their innocent desires — like finding coins, owning shoes, or
learning to drive — sharply contrast the harsh lives they lead. This theme stirs both sympathy and anger at
a system that robs children of their rightful future.

Poverty, Exploitation, and Social Injustice:

Lost Spring powerfully portrays the harsh realities of poverty and the systemic exploitation that sustains it.
Poverty is shown not merely as individual misfortune but as a societal failure. The ragpickers of Seemapuri
live without sewage, drainage, or running water, surviving through ration cards and garbage. In Firozabad,
entire families work tirelessly in glass-blowing factories yet remain trapped in deep poverty. The story
exposes how the poor are exploited by the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the
bureaucrats and the politicians—institutions meant to protect them. Bangle-makers, for instance, earn
meagre wages and are controlled by powerful middlemen; any protest is crushed brutally. Children’s labour
is stolen for a pittance, symbolizing a greater social injustice. Anees Jung calls this a “national shame,”
where a progressing India still allows its children to be condemned to suffering. Saheb’s family fled natural
disaster only to face urban deprivation, while Mukesh’s family remains bound to an oppressive trade.
Poverty, here, is man-made and maintained by greed.

Tradition, Caste, and Fatalism vs. Aspiration:

A key theme in Lost Spring is the tension between inherited tradition and the longing for change. In
Firozabad, bangle-making is bound to caste and seen as a “God-given lineage.” This belief fosters fatalism,
where generations accept their hardship as divine will. Mukesh’s grandmother, for instance, says it is her
son’s karam (destiny) to suffer, reinforcing the idea that poverty is unavoidable. Religion, tradition, and
caste become tools that silently enforce exploitation. Yet, within this bleak cycle, aspiration emerges.
Mukesh represents hope—he refuses to follow the same path and dreams of becoming a motor mechanic.
His ambition, though simple, is a powerful act of resistance. The story questions whether the grip of
tradition can ever be broken. “Can a God-given lineage ever be broken?” asks Mukesh’s grandmother—but
Mukesh’s dream itself answers with defiance. The narrative reveals how even in the darkest corners, the
human spirit clings to hope and possibility.

Social Apathy and Political Neglect:

Lost Spring offers a sharp critique of society’s indifference and the political system’s neglect of the poor.
Anees Jung exposes how those in power continuously fail children like Saheb and Mukesh. In Seemapuri,
there are no schools, and in Firozabad, child labour laws remain unenforced—clear signs of government
failure. Despite having voter ID cards, the slum-dwellers live in appalling conditions, used by politicians only
during elections. Jung even reflects on her own unfulfilled promise to Saheb about opening a school,
acknowledging how such well-meaning words often go nowhere. These empty promises are common in
the bleak worlds of the underprivileged. The story highlights the tragic irony—society frequently speaks of
change but rarely acts. As children continue to work in hazardous, degrading environments, the author
challenges us to confront this collective moral failure. The narrative urges a shift from passive sympathy to
genuine action and compassion.

Hope, Resilience, and Human Dignity:

Despite its grim themes, Lost Spring carries a powerful undercurrent of hope and resilience. The children in
the story display an extraordinary spirit in the face of adversity. Saheb finds joy in small pleasures—like
discovering a coin in the garbage, wearing worn-out tennis shoes, or enjoying a swing ride. Mukesh, on the
other hand, quietly holds on to his dream of becoming a motor mechanic and takes pride in rebuilding his
home. These moments reflect the unyielding spirit of youth and a refusal to be crushed by despair. The
story honours such glimpses of courage—Saheb’s innocent hope when promised schooling or Mukesh’s
determination to break the cycle of inherited poverty. Even the title, Lost Spring, suggests bittersweet
irony—while youth may be lost, spring also hints at renewal. These children, though marginalized, retain
dignity and dreams, reminding us that behind poverty lie individuals worthy of compassion, not just
statistics.

CHARACTERS:

Saheb-e-Alam (The Ragpicker Boy)

Saheb-e-Alam, a roughly ten-year-old boy from Seemapuri, is a refugee-turned-ragpicker whose family fled
the cyclone-ravaged fields of Bangladesh years ago in search of a better life. His name ironically means
“Lord of the Universe,” a meaning he is unaware of—an irony that deepens the tragedy of his situation.
Saheb spends his days sifting through garbage in Delhi, finding joy in small discoveries like a coin or a pair
of discarded shoes. Despite extreme poverty, his personality radiates innocence, curiosity, and hope. He
dreams of playing tennis and going to school, though both remain distant. When he takes up a job at a tea
stall for ₹800 and meals, he loses the freedom of his ragpicker days, his cheerful spark dimmed. His heavy
steel canister replaces the light plastic bag, symbolizing lost childhood. Saheb represents countless
children who live with dreams but are trapped in poverty, their stories often unheard.

Mukesh (The Bangle Maker’s Son)

Mukesh, a teenager from Firozabad, offers a striking contrast to Saheb. Born into a family of bangle
makers, he lives amidst generations trapped in poverty and tradition. Yet, Mukesh dares to dream
differently—he declares with quiet confidence, “I will be a motor mechanic.” This ambition, though modest,
is bold in a town where most children end up in glass furnaces. Mukesh insists on being his own master
and refuses to accept his fate. Though he knows nothing about cars, he says, “I will learn,” and if needed, “I
will walk” to reach a garage. Unlike unrealistic dreamers, he chooses goals within reach. His pride in his
modest home and his quiet respect for elders reveal humility, not rebellion. Mukesh’s story reflects courage
born from hardship, hope grounded in reality, and the resilience to change one’s life from within. He
symbolizes a flicker of possibility in a world shadowed by despair.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1. Comment on the irony in Saheb's name.
Ans- The irony in Saheb’s name lies in its meaning—“Saheb-e-Alam”, which means “lord of the
universe”. In contrast, Saheb is a barefoot ragpicker, living in abject poverty in Seemapuri,
deprived of education, identity, and basic needs. He roams the streets collecting garbage,
completely unaware of the grandeur his name suggests. His life starkly contradicts the dignity his
name implies.
Q2. Comment on the significance of shoes as depicted in the story Lost Spring.
Ans- In Lost Spring, shoes emerge as a powerful symbol of poverty, dreams, and disparity. Most
ragpicker children, including Saheb and his friends, roam barefoot, not by choice, but due to
deprivation. One boy says his mother didn’t bring the shoes down from the shelf, while another
wears mismatched ones. A third, who has never owned shoes, simply says, “I want shoes.” This
longing reflects a deep-rooted scarcity in their lives. The story of a priest’s son praying for shoes
at a temple, and eventually receiving them, contrasts starkly with the ragpickers who remain
shoeless. Even Saheb, who finally wears discarded tennis shoes with a hole, treasures them—
proving that for the poor, even a damaged item holds immense value. Shoes, here, symbolize
dignity and lost childhoods. They are more than footwear—they are markers of privilege,
aspiration, and basic comfort that remain inaccessible to countless children trapped in the cycle
of poverty and survival.
Q3. “Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.”
Substantiate.
Ans- Seemapuri is geographically located on the outskirts of Delhi, yet metaphorically, it is worlds
apart. While Delhi represents urban progress and privilege, Seemapuri is a symbol of deprivation,
inhabited by ragpickers like Saheb’s family who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971. Despite living
in the national capital’s shadow, the people here exist without basic amenities—no sewage,
drainage, or running water. They live in makeshift shelters of mud and tarpaulin, surviving on
garbage, which they consider gold. For them, food and survival are more important than identity,
as reflected in their reliance on ration cards instead of official documents. Children like Saheb
grow up collecting trash instead of going to school. The contrast between Delhi’s wealth and
Seemapuri’s poverty is stark. While Delhi enjoys modernity, Seemapuri remains trapped in a cycle
of exploitation and invisibility, making it metaphorically distant from the city it borders. Thus,
Seemapuri reflects the deep social and economic divide in Indian society.
Q4. “It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their
parents.” Explain.
Ans- For children like Saheb, garbage is a source of excitement and hope. It holds the possibility of
discovering something valuable—like a coin or even a ten-rupee note—which fills them with
wonder. However, for their parents, garbage is merely a means of survival, a way to earn food and
sustain life. This difference reflects the lost innocence of poverty-stricken childhoods.
Q5. “Saheb is no longer his own master.” Explain.
Ans- Saheb, once a ragpicker, roamed freely with a plastic bag slung on his shoulder. Though poor,
he had a sense of independence. After taking up a job at a tea stall, he earns eight hundred rupees
and meals, but loses his freedom. The steel canister he now carries feels heavier—it belongs to his
employer, not him. He is no longer his own master.
Q6. Draw a character sketch of Saheb.
Ans- Saheb, a young boy from Seemapuri, is a symbol of lost childhood and harsh realities. Once
a resident of Dhaka, he now survives by rag-picking in Delhi’s garbage dumps. Despite the poverty
that surrounds him, he is curious, polite, and full of innocent hopes. His name, Saheb-e-Alam,
ironically means “Lord of the Universe”—a sharp contrast to his actual life of deprivation. He is
barefoot, like most ragpicker children, and dreams of school, shoes, and a better life. When
someone gives him a pair of torn tennis shoes, he cherishes them with joy. Later, he takes up a job
at a tea stall, earning eight hundred rupees and meals, but loses the carefree freedom he once
had. The steel canister he carries feels heavier than his rag-picking bag because it represents a
loss of ownership and identity. Saheb’s life reflects the crushing weight of poverty and how it
steals both dreams and childhood from the poor.
Q7. Comment on the theme of displacement as depicted in the story Lost Spring.
Ans- Displacement is a central theme in Lost Spring, portrayed through the lives of children like
Saheb, who are uprooted from their homes and forced into a life of struggle. Saheb’s family
migrated from the lush green fields of Dhaka after storms destroyed their home. Hoping for a
better life, they settled in Seemapuri, a slum on the outskirts of Delhi. However, they found no
prosperity but continued hardship. The displaced people live in makeshift shelters without identity,
electricity, or sanitation, yet hold on to ration cards as their only means of survival. Their children,
like Saheb, grow up without education, dignity, or freedom, collecting garbage for survival.
Seemapuri symbolizes the tragic irony of migration—people leave their homeland in search of
gold, only to find garbage. The displacement is not just physical but emotional and social, severing
them from their roots and pushing them into an endless cycle of poverty and powerlessness.
Q8. Describe the living conditions of Firozabad.
Ans- The living conditions in Firozabad are marked by extreme poverty, congestion, and
stagnation. Families live in hovels with crumbling walls, wobbly doors, no windows, and garbage-
choked lanes. Homes are overcrowded with humans and animals coexisting in an almost primitive
state. The town is the hub of India’s glass-blowing industry, where generations of families,
including children, work in dark, dingy furnaces with high temperatures and no ventilation. This
hazardous work often causes children to lose their eyesight before adulthood. Despite their hard
labour, most families cannot afford enough food, as expressed by an old woman who says she
never had a full meal in her life. The oppressive weight of poverty, caste-based occupations, and
lack of education traps people in a cycle of suffering. Young men have no voice or leadership,
fearing police and injustice. Firozabad stands as a place where the past dominates the present,
crushing hope and silencing dreams.
Q9. Describe Mukesh’s family. What does it highlight?
Ans- Mukesh’s family is deeply entrenched in the bangle-making industry of Firozabad. Like most
families in the town, they have spent generations working around hot furnaces, welding glass in
dark, suffocating rooms. Despite years of hard labour, Mukesh’s father, once a tailor, could neither
build a proper house nor send his sons to school—he only passed on the trade of making bangles.
The family lives in a crumbling house on a stinking lane filled with garbage. Mukesh’s sister-in-law,
though young, bears the responsibilities of a typical daughter-in-law, veiling herself in front of
elders. His grandmother believes in destiny, accepting the caste-bound profession as god-given.
This family represents a larger reality where poverty, tradition, and systemic exploitation strip
people of agency and dreams. Their story highlights the crushing cycle of inherited poverty, where
survival overshadows aspiration, and the absence of leadership or reform keeps them trapped in a
world dictated by caste, custom, and economic helplessness.
Q10. How casteism and the concept of Karma have been portrayed in the story?
Ans- n Lost Spring, casteism and the concept of karma are portrayed as forces that trap
generations in a cycle of poverty and helplessness. Mukesh’s family belongs to the caste of
bangle makers in Firozabad, where every household has been engaged in glass-blowing for
generations. This caste-based profession is accepted without question, as seen when Mukesh’s
grandmother says, “It is his karam, his destiny,” implying that one’s birth decides one’s life path.
Despite working tirelessly in hazardous conditions, they accept their suffering as fate, believing it
is “god-given” and unchangeable. This fatalistic belief, rooted in caste and karma, suppresses
resistance and discourages dreams. It kills initiative, as young men inherit the same burdens
without questioning them. The caste system, combined with oppressive middlemen, corrupt
officials, and a lack of education, forms an unbreakable cycle. The story critiques this blind
submission and celebrates Mukesh’s small rebellion when he dares to dream of becoming a
motor mechanic, choosing his own path.
Q11. The story highlights two distinct world. Elaborate.
Ans- In Lost Spring, Anees Jung powerfully contrasts two distinct worlds—one of poverty-stricken
families bound by caste and survival, and the other of systemic exploitation and power. The first
world is that of families like Saheb’s and Mukesh’s, where children are born into deprivation,
illiteracy, and inherited occupations. They live in slums, work in garbage dumps or glass furnaces,
and see hunger as a part of life. Despite dreams, they are weighed down by the burden of poverty
and tradition. The second world consists of the exploitative forces—sahukars, middlemen, police,
bureaucrats, and politicians—who benefit from their misery and keep them trapped. This world is
inaccessible yet in control, feeding off the helplessness of the poor. The children unknowingly
accept their fate because questioning requires courage—a luxury they are never taught to have.
Jung’s narration exposes this stark divide, where one world survives and suffers, while the other
exploits and silences their chances of change.
Q12. Why does Mukesh dream of becoming a motor mechanic but not a pilot? What does it
highlight?
Ans- Mukesh dreams of becoming a motor mechanic because it is a dream rooted in reality, one
he believes he can achieve. Despite growing up in the grim streets of Firozabad, where every child
is born into the bangle-making trade, Mukesh dares to think differently. He says, “I will be a motor
mechanic” and insists, “I will learn to drive a car.” His dream stands in contrast to the mind-
numbing acceptance of fate seen in his family and community. However, when asked if he dreams
of flying a plane, he goes silent and softly replies, “No,” staring at the ground. This moment
highlights the limitations poverty imposes on imagination. It shows how children like Mukesh,
though capable of dreaming, restrict their hopes to what they can see around them—cars on the
street, not planes in the sky. His practical dream reflects both courage and the crushing impact of
generational poverty on ambition.
Q13. Draw a character sketch of Mukesh.
Ans- Mukesh is a symbol of quiet rebellion and hope in Lost Spring. Born into a family of bangle
makers in Firozabad, he grows up in a community where generations have worked in dark, airless
glass furnaces. Unlike others around him who accept their fate as destiny or karam, Mukesh dares
to dream differently. He confidently declares, “I will be a motor mechanic,” and shows
determination when he says, “I will walk,” to reach the faraway garage. His desire is modest yet
significant, shaped by what he sees around him—cars, not airplanes. Mukesh’s pride in his half-
built home and his polite confidence reflect his inner strength. Despite living in poverty, amid
stinking lanes and crumbling walls, he refuses to be crushed by the weight of tradition. He doesn’t
yet regret not dreaming bigger, but his grounded ambition shows a spark of courage. Mukesh
stands apart as a boy who wants to be his own master.
Q14. Comment on the role of bangles in the story.
Ans- In Lost Spring, bangles are more than decorative ornaments—they are symbols of tradition,
oppression, and lost dreams. In Firozabad, almost every family is involved in bangle-making, a
caste-bound profession passed down for generations. The beautiful spirals of coloured glass—
sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue—contrast sharply with the dark, suffocating world in which
they are created. Bangles represent the ‘suhaag’ or marital sanctity for Indian women, but for
children like Savita, they also signify a lifetime of bonded labour. The very hands that make them
often go without food, education, or freedom. An old woman, still wearing bangles, confesses she
never had a full meal in her life. While bangles symbolize auspiciousness in marriage, they also
serve as chains of caste and poverty for the families who make them. Anees Jung uses bangles
as a powerful motif to expose how beauty can mask suffering, and how tradition can silence
generations into submission.
Q15. Comment on the title of the story.
Ans- The title Lost Spring is deeply symbolic, capturing the essence of stolen childhoods due to
poverty and exploitation. “Spring” represents youth, freshness, and the season of hope. But in this
story, that spring is lost for children like Saheb and Mukesh. Saheb scours garbage dumps for
survival, dreaming of school and shoes but finding only scraps and false promises. Mukesh, born
into the caste of bangle-makers in Firozabad, is trapped in a cycle of hazardous labour and
tradition. Despite the sanctity associated with bangles, the children who make them live in
darkness, both literally and metaphorically, often losing their eyesight and their dreams. Their
world is dominated by poverty, caste, and systemic injustice, where hope is a rare luxury. Anees
Jung uses the title to emphasize how poverty steals not only childhood joys but also the right to
dream, learn, and grow. The “lost spring” is a shared tragedy of millions of children in similar
conditions.
Q16. Comment on the central idea of the story.
Ans- The central idea of Lost Spring revolves around the cruel reality of child labour and the loss of
childhood dreams due to poverty, caste, and social apathy. Through the lives of Saheb and
Mukesh, Anees Jung presents a stark picture of children forced into labour instead of going to
school or enjoying their youth. Saheb, a ragpicker from Seemapuri, collects garbage for survival
and clings to hopes as small as finding a coin or a discarded shoe. Mukesh, born into a family of
bangle-makers in Firozabad, wants to become a motor mechanic but remains entangled in a life
bound by caste and tradition. The story reveals how systemic exploitation by middlemen,
authorities, and social customs kills both initiative and dreams. Yet, in Mukesh’s quiet defiance,
there’s a glimmer of hope. Jung uses real stories to highlight how childhood, meant to be a spring
of joy and freedom, is stolen by the burdens of survival and inherited oppression.