Lost Spring
Theme of the Chapter
The story revolves around the grinding poverty, child labour, and social injustice faced by
underprivileged children in India. It presents the contrast between dreams and harsh realities, and how
childhood and education are lost in the struggle for survival.
Message of the Chapter
Anees Jung sends a strong message that poverty should not strip children of their right to education,
dreams, and a happy childhood. She appeals for awareness and action to break the cycle of
exploitation and restore hope and dignity to the lives of poor children.
Questions with Answers
1. Why does the author say “Garbage to them is gold”?
The ragpickers of Seemapuri survive on garbage, which provides their daily bread. For children, it holds the
hope of something valuable — like coins or useful items. It symbolizes how poverty has forced them to find
meaning and livelihood in waste, turning trash into a means of survival.
2. What is the significance of the title Lost Spring?
The title is symbolic. “Spring” stands for childhood, hope, and joy, and “lost” signifies how poverty and
exploitation rob poor children of this phase. The chapter reveals how these children lose their innocence
and dreams under the burden of labour and hardship.
3. Who was Saheb and what was ironic about his name?
Saheb was a ragpicker boy in Seemapuri. His full name, Saheb-e-Alam, means “Lord of the Universe,”
which is ironic because he lives in extreme poverty, walking barefoot and scavenging garbage — far from
being a lord of anything.
4. What forces conspire to keep the workers in Firozabad in poverty?
The vicious cycle of custom, caste, and exploitation keeps them trapped. They are born into the
bangle-making community, and their fate is sealed early. Middlemen, police, bureaucrats, and lack of
education prevent any escape, sustaining their generational poverty and suffering.
5. How is the life of the children in Seemapuri different from those in Firozabad?
The children in Seemapuri, like Saheb, work as ragpickers. Though their lives are filled with poverty, they still
experience moments of freedom and joy. Saheb dreams of going to school and finds excitement even in
picking garbage, which sometimes yields unexpected treasures. On the other hand, the children in Firozabad
are born into the bangle-making industry. Their lives are marked by bonded labour, health hazards, and
generational exploitation. They work in dark, suffocating rooms and suffer from eye problems and stunted
growth. While Seemapuri children retain some aspirations, Firozabad’s children are trapped in tradition and
resigned to fate. Both groups are denied education and basic rights, but Firozabad’s children face a more
oppressive existence.
6. How does Anees Jung portray the condition of poor children in the chapter?
Anees Jung portrays the harsh reality of poor children by sharing real-life experiences of Saheb and Mukesh,
symbolizing two aspects of child labour. She presents Saheb, a ragpicker, who has lost his childhood and
identity in the quest for survival, yet harbours small dreams. Mukesh, from Firozabad, is caught in the vicious
cycle of poverty and tradition, forced to work in unsafe, dark bangle factories. The author uses contrast, irony,
and emotional imagery to show how these children are denied education, freedom, and hope. Through her
narrative, she critiques a society that normalizes exploitation and urges the reader to reflect on the systemic
failure that robs children of their "spring" – the joy of childhood.
