Lost Spring – AHSEC Class 12 English Chapter 2

Here is a complete and detailed guide for Chapter 2 of the AHSEC Class 12 English textbook, “Flamingo,” which is “Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood” by Anees Jung.

“Lost Spring” by Anees Jung: A Comprehensive Guide

This guide provides a thorough set of notes covering all aspects of the chapter to help you prepare for your AHSEC Class 12 English examination.

1. Summary of “Lost Spring”

“Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood” by Anees Jung is a powerful narrative that examines the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn children to a life of exploitation. The chapter is divided into two parts, each focusing on a different child trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty.

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Part 1: “Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage”

This section tells the story of Saheb-e-Alam, a young ragpicker. The author encounters him every morning scrounging for “gold” (valuables) in the garbage dumps of her neighborhood. Saheb’s family are squatters who migrated from Dhaka, Bangladesh, after storms destroyed their homes and fields. They came to the big city in search of a livelihood.

For the children like Saheb, the garbage is “wrapped in wonder.” Sometimes they find a rupee or even a ten-rupee note, which fuels their hope of finding more. For the elders, however, it is simply a means of survival. The children live in Seemapuri, a settlement on the periphery of Delhi, in structures of mud with tin and tarpaulin roofs, devoid of basic amenities like sewage, drainage, or running water.

The author notes the irony of Saheb’s full name, “Saheb-e-Alam,” which means “lord of the universe,” as he roams the streets barefoot with his friends. The children’s barefootedness is not a tradition but a symbol of their perpetual poverty.

Later, the author sees Saheb working at a tea stall. He is paid 800 rupees a month and gets all his meals. However, he has lost the carefree look he had as a ragpicker. The steel canister he now carries seems heavier than the plastic bag he used to carry on his shoulder. He is no longer his own master; he now belongs to the owner of the tea shop. His childhood freedom, however bleak, has been lost to the responsibilities of a job.

Part 2: “I want to drive a car”

This part focuses on Mukesh, a young boy from Firozabad, a town famous for its glass bangles. Unlike Saheb, Mukesh has a dream: he wants to be a motor mechanic. He is determined to break away from the family tradition of bangle-making, which has been their profession for generations.

The author visits Mukesh’s home, located in a lane choked with garbage. His house is a half-built shack. The living conditions are deplorable, with families living in “stinking lanes” and “dark hutments.” Children work illegally in glass furnaces with high temperatures, often losing their eyesight before they become adults.

Mukesh’s grandmother believes in “karam” (destiny), accepting their fate as bangle-makers as a god-given lineage that can never be broken. The people of Firozabad are caught in a vicious circle created by sahukars (moneylenders), middlemen, policemen, keepers of the law, bureaucrats, and politicians. If they try to organize themselves into a cooperative, they are beaten and jailed for doing something illegal.

This oppressive system has killed all initiative and the ability to dream. The children are burdened with the “baggage” of their family’s profession from a young age. However, Mukesh’s dream of becoming a motor mechanic is a “flash” of hope amidst the despair. Although the garage is a long way from his home, he is determined to walk there. His dream is a small act of rebellion against a system that has crushed the spirits of his community.

2. Complete Textual Question and Answer Exercise

Here are the answers to all the questions given at the end of the chapter in your textbook.

Understanding the text

1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Answer: People migrate from villages to cities for several reasons, as highlighted in the text and observed in society:

• Loss of Livelihood: Natural calamities like storms, floods, or droughts can destroy agricultural fields and homes, forcing people to seek alternative livelihoods in cities. (e.g., Saheb’s family from Bangladesh).
• Better Opportunities: Cities are perceived as centers of employment, offering more job opportunities and the possibility of a better income compared to rural areas.
• Access to Facilities: Cities generally have better access to education, healthcare, and other basic amenities which may be lacking in villages.
• Escape from Poverty: Grinding poverty and lack of resources in villages push people to migrate to cities in the hope of earning enough for survival.

2. 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?
Answer: Yes, I agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept. In the text, the author makes a half-joking promise to Saheb to start a school. Saheb takes it seriously and later asks if the school is ready. The author feels embarrassed because her promise was “hollow” and not meant to be fulfilled.
This happens because such promises are often made casually, without any real intention of following through. The people making them do not fully grasp the weight their words carry for a child deprived of opportunities. For children like Saheb, a promise of a school represents a world of hope, but for the person making it, it is often just an empty gesture made out of pity or politeness. The vast gap between the worlds of the privileged and the impoverished makes these promises meaningless and easily forgotten.

3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Answer: The workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty by a conspiracy of several forces:

• The Vicious Circle: This includes sahukars (moneylenders), middlemen, policemen, keepers of the law, bureaucrats, and politicians.
• Exploitation: The middlemen exploit the workers by paying them very little for their hard work and selling the bangles at a high price.
• Debt Trap: The workers often fall into debt traps set by moneylenders, from which they can never escape.
• Lack of Leadership: There is no one to lead them or help them see things differently. If they try to form a cooperative, they are persecuted by the police and the system.
• The Stigma of Caste: They are born into the caste of bangle-makers and are burdened by the belief that it is their “destiny” or “karam” to continue this work. This kills their ability to dream or take any new initiative.

Talking about the text

1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Answer: Mukesh can realise his dream of becoming a motor mechanic through sheer determination and courage. His dream is a rebellion against the oppressive system. To achieve it, he must:

• Be Resolute: He must hold on to his dream despite the lack of support from his family and community.
• Seek Training: He needs to find a garage that is willing to take him on as an apprentice, as he plans to do.
• Overcome Obstacles: He must have the courage to walk the long distance to the garage and face the challenges that will inevitably come his way.
• Break the Mental Barrier: Most importantly, he needs to break free from the mental conditioning of “karam” and the belief that he is destined to be a bangle-maker.

2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer: The glass bangles industry is fraught with hazards:

• Poor Working Conditions: Workers, including children, have to work in “dingy cells” without proper air and light.
• High Temperatures: They work around hot furnaces, which is physically draining and dangerous.
• Loss of Eyesight: The fine dust from polishing the glass bangles is harmful to the eyes. Many workers, including children, end up losing their eyesight before they reach adulthood.
• Health Issues: The unhygienic conditions and long hours of strenuous work lead to various other health problems.
• Child Labour: The industry illegally employs thousands of children, robbing them of their childhood and education.

3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer: Child labour should be eliminated because it is a gross violation of human rights. It robs children of their childhood, denies them the opportunity for education, and exposes them to physical and mental harm. It perpetuates the cycle of poverty, as uneducated children grow up to be unskilled adults with limited opportunities.
Child labour can be eliminated through:

• Strict Enforcement of Laws: The government must strictly enforce laws against child labour and penalize employers who violate them.
• Poverty Alleviation: The root cause of child labour is poverty. Government and non-government organizations must work to improve the economic conditions of poor families.
• Education: Providing free and compulsory education is the most effective way to keep children out of the workforce.
• Public Awareness: Creating awareness among the public about the evils of child labour and encouraging them not to employ children.

3. Previous Year AHSEC Question Answers (2015-2025)

Short Questions (2 Marks)

• Who was Saheb and what was he looking for? (AHSEC 2015, 2018)
  Answer: Saheb was a young ragpicker whose family had migrated from Bangladesh. He was looking for “gold”—coins, notes, or any other valuable items—in the garbage dumps of the author’s neighborhood in Seemapuri.
• What is the meaning of Saheb’s full name? What is the irony in it? (AHSEC 2016, 2020)
  Answer: Saheb’s full name is “Saheb-e-Alam,” which means “lord of the universe.” The irony is that, contrary to his name, he is a poor, barefoot ragpicker who scrounges through garbage for his survival.
• What is Firozabad famous for? (AHSEC 2017)
  Answer: Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles. It is the center of India’s glass-blowing industry, where generations of families have been engaged in making bangles for all the women in the land.
• What is the dream of Mukesh? Is it likely to be realized?
  Answer: The dream of Mukesh is to become a motor mechanic. It is a dream of breaking free from his family’s traditional profession of bangle-making. While difficult, it is likely to be realized because of his strong determination and willingness to walk a long distance to a garage to learn the work.
• Why did Saheb’s family migrate to India?
  Answer: Saheb’s family migrated to India from Dhaka, Bangladesh, because their homes and green fields were destroyed by frequent storms. They came to the big city in search of a livelihood and survival.

Long Questions (5-7 Marks)

• Describe the life of ragpickers in Seemapuri. (AHSEC 2019)
  Answer: The life of ragpickers in Seemapuri, a settlement on the outskirts of Delhi, is one of extreme poverty and squalor. The residents are squatters from Bangladesh who live in structures made of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. The area lacks basic amenities like sewage, drainage, or running water. For survival, the elders engage in rag-picking, which is their only means of livelihood. For the children, however, the garbage is “wrapped in wonder,” as they sometimes find a coin or a valuable item, which gives them hope. They roam the streets barefoot, and their childhood is lost to the daily struggle for survival. Despite their miserable living conditions, they prefer living in Seemapuri to their homeland, as here they at least have food, which is more important for survival than an identity.
• “Lost Spring” is a description of the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn children to a life of exploitation. Discuss.
  Answer: Anees Jung’s “Lost Spring” vividly portrays how a combination of deep-rooted poverty and oppressive traditions steals the childhood of millions of children in India. The two stories, of Saheb and Mukesh, serve as powerful examples.
  In the case of Saheb, poverty forces him and his family to migrate and live in the squalor of Seemapuri. He becomes a ragpicker, and his childhood is spent scrounging through garbage instead of going to school. Eventually, he takes up a job at a tea stall, losing his freedom and becoming a bonded labourer, thus losing the “spring” of his life.
  In Mukesh’s story, the exploitation is compounded by tradition. He belongs to a family of bangle-makers in Firozabad. The entire community is trapped in a vicious circle of moneylenders, middlemen, and corrupt officials who ensure they remain in poverty. The tradition of bangle-making is seen as a “god-given lineage,” a destiny from which they cannot escape. This mindset, combined with the exploitative system, kills all dreams and aspirations. Children are forced into hazardous work from a young age, often losing their eyesight.
  Thus, the chapter effectively illustrates how these two forces—poverty and tradition—conspire to create a life of endless exploitation for children, robbing them of their dreams, education, and a happy childhood.

4. Most Important 10 Questions and Answers

1. What is the significance of the title “Lost Spring”?
   Answer: The title “Lost Spring” is a metaphor for lost childhood. Spring is the season of bloom and joy, representing the best phase of life—childhood. The stories of Saheb and Mukesh show how millions of children are denied the joy, freedom, and opportunities of childhood due to poverty and are forced into labour, thus losing the “spring” of their lives.
2. How is Mukesh’s attitude different from that of his family?
   Answer: Mukesh’s attitude is one of rebellion and hope, which contrasts sharply with the resignation of his family. While his family, especially his grandmother, has accepted their life of bangle-making as their “karam” or destiny, Mukesh dares to dream of a different life. He wants to be a motor mechanic and is determined to break the family tradition.
3. For the children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. Explain.
   Answer: For the elders in Seemapuri, garbage is only a means of survival—their “daily bread.” For the children, however, it is “wrapped in wonder.” They scrounge through it with the hope of finding a coin or a valuable item. This element of surprise and discovery makes rag-picking a game for them, unlike the grim reality it represents for their parents.
4. Why was Saheb not happy working at the tea stall?
   Answer: Saheb was not happy working at the tea stall because he had lost his freedom. Although he earned a fixed income and got regular meals, he was no longer his own master. The steel canister he carried felt heavier than his rag-picking bag because it symbolized his new servitude.
5. Describe the living conditions of the bangle-makers in Firozabad.
   Answer: The bangle-makers of Firozabad live in abject poverty. They reside in “stinking lanes” choked with garbage, in dilapidated homes with crumbling walls and wobbly doors. They work in dark, unhygienic glass furnaces, which severely affects their health and eyesight.
6. What does the author mean by “the baggage on the child that he cannot put down”?
   Answer: “The baggage on the child” refers to the burden of the family’s profession and poverty that is imposed on the children of Firozabad from a very young age. They are forced to accept the life of a bangle-maker as their destiny, a burden they must carry throughout their lives without any choice.
7. Why can’t the bangle-makers of Firozabad organize themselves into a cooperative?
   Answer: They cannot organize themselves into a cooperative because they are trapped in a vicious circle of middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats, and politicians. If they try to organize, they are accused of doing something illegal, beaten up by the police, and put in jail.
8. Compare and contrast the stories of Saheb and Mukesh.
   Answer: Both Saheb and Mukesh are victims of child labour and poverty. However, Saheb has accepted his fate and does not seem to have any dreams, eventually losing his freedom for a job. Mukesh, on the other hand, dares to dream of a life beyond the family tradition of bangle-making and is determined to become a motor mechanic, representing a small spark of hope.
9. What is the central theme of “Lost Spring”?
   Answer: The central theme of “Lost Spring” is the plight of poor children in India who are condemned to a life of poverty and exploitation, thereby losing their childhood. It is a critique of a system that perpetuates child labour and denies children their fundamental right to education and a decent life.
10. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
    Answer: The city of Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles. It is the hub of India’s glass-blowing industry, and for generations, families there have been involved in making bangles for women all over the country.