Day 6
LITERATURE (Flamingo)
The Lost Spring
- Anees Jung
The story, “Lost Spring” describes the pitiable condition of poor children who have
been forced to miss the joy of childhood due to the socio-economic condition that
prevails in this man-made world. These children are denied the opportunity of
schooling and forced into labour early in life. Anees Jung gives voice to eliminate child
labour by educating the children and to enforce the laws against child labour by the
governments strictly. The call is to end child exploitation and let the children enjoy the
days of the spring that bring joy under their feet.
PART – 1
The rag-pickers of Seemapuri
(‘Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage’)
Gist of the story:-
(THE AUTHOR’S ENCOUNTERING SAHEB OVER THE MONTHS)
• The author examines and analyses the impoverished conditions and traditions
that condemn children to a life of exploitation these children are denied an education
and forced into hardships early in their lives.
• The writer encounters Saheb – a rag picker whose parents have left behind the
life of poverty in Dhaka to earn a living in Delhi.
• His family like many other families of rag pickers lives in Seemapuri. They do
not have other identification other than a ration card.
• The children do not go to school and they are excited at the prospect of finding a
coin or even a ten rupee note for rummaging in the garbage.
• It is the only way of earning.
• The writer is pained to see Saheb, a rag picker whose name means the ruler of
earth, lose the spark of childhood and roam barefooted with his friends.
• From morning to noon the author encounters him in a tea stall and is paid Rs.
800 He sadly realizes that he is no longer his own master and this loss of identity
weighs heavily on his tender shoulders.
MAIN POINTS:
• The writer encounters Saheb every morning scrounging for gold in the garbage.
• Saheb – e – Alam, a refugee from Dhaka is a rag picker.
• He like many other children of his slum wants to go to school but can’t – very
poor.
• He lives in Seemapuri - a locality on the periphery of Delhi without any basic
amenities.
• Most of the rag pickers live here. All are rag pickers. (squatters from Bangladesh)
• Food is more important for them than identity.
• Rag picking is their only occupation where children are involved in this
occupation but rag picking is different for children and adults.
For adults – means of survival.
For children – wrapped in wonders. (sometimes they find a rupee or a five
rupee note in the garbage and that makes them scrounge more and more)
• Sahib gets a job at a tea-stall; earns Rs. 800 a month and all his meals but is
unhappy.
• He loses his freedom and carefree look and there he loses his childhood or we
can say his spring is lost.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
Read the story revolving around the mentioned points and answer the following
questions.
• What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to
cities?
• 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?
• What reasons do the children give for their roaming barefooted? What does this
suggest about them?
• Why has the author narrated the story of a man from Udipi?
• Describe the irony in Saheb’s name.
