Title of the chapter “Lost Spring”
Title: The titles of the chapter “Lost Spring” shows the loss of childhood.
Theme of the Chapter
Theme: The theme of the chapter says that spring season associate with novelty, optimism and hope. Author uses it as a metaphor for childhood where we all are filled with energy and positivity. But there are some who does not get opportunity to enjoy the essence of childhood like going to school and enjoying that a child aspires. The chapter “Lost Spring” is written by famous Journalist and Indian author Anees Jung.
Summary of the Chapter
Synopsis: In this chapter “Lost Springs” author give emphasis on child labour and children who are forced to live a life under poverty and exploitation.
Author has raised this topic by describing two boys, Saheb – E – Alam and Mukesh who does not have anything that is associated with childhood like Education and Burdeness life.
First part of the chapter describes a ragpicker whose name is Saheb from Dhoka, Bangladesh. Right now migrated to Seemapuri, New Delhi and living with thousand of Rag Picker. Author watches Saheb everyday scrounging garbage to find something valuable out of it. He is not alone with him their is a gang of children who go barefooted in the street of Delhi.
Inspite of young, poverty and Exploitation has holds carefully look on his face which disappears when narrator saw him holding milk canister while working on a tea stall. Where he earns 800 Rs a month and all his meals but because of that job he has lost his childhood and on carefully looked on his eyes he is no longer his own master.
Second part describes the life of a boy named, Mukesh who belongs to the family of Bangle makers of Firozabad. These labour are forced to work under pathetic condition like small room without proper light and air, around burning furnaces and polished glass. When they enter their adulthood they get blind by that time.
Moreover their condition worsen by falling under the hands of Shaukars, Middlemen and Policemen. But, Mukesh is different from rest of the others as he has hopes and determination to break the legacy which is to work as a bangle industry labourer. He is the boy who wants to be a motor mechanic from a place where everyone is associated with Bangle Industry.
Question and Answers
Why had the ragpickers come to live in seemapuri?
These ragpickers were migrated from Dhoka, Bangladesh to Seemapuri, New Delhi in search of livelihood as their cultivated farms and houses are swept in a storm.
what job did Saheb take up? was he happy?
Saheb started working on a tea stall where he earned 800 Rs a month and all his meals. He was not happy because he was no longer his own master.
in what sense is garbage gold to the ragpicker?
The gold to the ragpickers is a means of survival as it is their livelihood because of that green field to seemapuri and they pick garbage out of the dumps.
How is mukesh different from bangle makers of firozabad?
Mukesh is determined and having hopes and dreams in his eyes to beat the odds from the place where people are associate with Bangle Industry.
Who does Anees Jung blames for the plight of bangle makers?
Anees Jung blames politician, Policemen, Middlemen and Shaukars (Money lender). All of them put a baggage over the shoulder of these poor children which they can never shed it off.
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