English Flamingo – Chapter 2: Lost Spring by Anees Jung.
1. What is the central theme of “Lost Spring”?
Answer:
The story exposes the harsh realities of childhood poverty, child labor, and lost innocence. It highlights how dreams are crushed by economic and social conditions in India’s underprivileged communities.
2. Who is Saheb and what does his story represent?
Answer:
Saheb is a ragpicker in Seemapuri. His story reflects poverty, lost dreams, and the exploitation of child labor. Despite working hard, he finds no freedom or dignity in life.
3. Why is Saheb unhappy even after getting a job at a tea stall?
Answer:
Though his job gives regular income, he loses his independence. Earlier he was free as a ragpicker. Now, he is tied to someone else’s orders, carrying the weight of responsibility.
4. What irony does the author highlight in the title “Lost Spring”?
Answer:
“Spring” symbolizes childhood, joy, and growth. But for children like Saheb and Mukesh, it’s lost to poverty, labor, and harsh survival. Their spring never truly arrives.
5. Describe the life of ragpickers in Seemapuri.
Answer:
Ragpickers in Seemapuri live in poverty without identity or proper shelter. Their survival depends on garbage collection. Despite hardships, they value freedom more than the burden of structured jobs.
6. What does garbage mean to Seemapuri children?
Answer:
To them, garbage is gold. It’s a source of livelihood and hope. Each day’s collection brings the possibility of something valuable, making it a lifeline for survival.
7. Who is Mukesh and how is his life different from Saheb’s?
Answer:
Mukesh is a child laborer from Firozabad, working in bangle-making. Unlike Saheb, Mukesh dreams of becoming a motor mechanic, showing ambition and a desire to break generational cycles.
8. Describe the condition of bangle workers in Firozabad.
Answer:
They work in dark, suffocating rooms, often losing eyesight. Entire families, including children, are trapped in this hazardous trade due to poverty, social norms, and lack of awareness.
9. How does poverty affect the dreams of children in “Lost Spring”?
Answer:
Poverty crushes children’s dreams. They are forced into labor early, denying them education and joy. Though they may dream, the harsh realities rarely let those dreams come true.
10. How does Anees Jung use real-life characters to highlight social injustice?
Answer:
The author uses Saheb and Mukesh’s stories to reflect broader systemic issues—child labor, poverty, and lack of rights. These individual voices make the injustice personal and impactful.
11. What role do traditions play in keeping children trapped in poverty?
Answer:
Traditions like caste-based jobs and generational labor trap children in the same professions as their parents, especially in Firozabad. It kills ambition and prevents change or escape.
12. What does the author mean by “Anecdotes are not mere stories”?
Answer:
The stories of Saheb and Mukesh are not fictional; they reflect painful truths. These anecdotes shed light on societal flaws and make us confront the reality behind child labor.
13. Why do people live in Seemapuri despite its poor conditions?
Answer:
For these migrants, Seemapuri offers survival. It may lack amenities, but it gives access to garbage, which they convert into food and livelihood. It’s a compromise for life.
14. What contrast does the author draw between city life and the ragpickers?
Answer:
While the city thrives in wealth, ragpickers live in slums. This contrast shows the gap between prosperity and poverty, and how the marginalized remain invisible in urban development.
15. How does the author’s tone influence the narrative?
Answer:
The tone is empathetic yet critical. Anees Jung observes with sensitivity and urgency, urging readers to see beyond sympathy and recognize systemic flaws that sustain child exploitation.
16. How is hope reflected in Mukesh’s story?
Answer:
Mukesh dares to dream beyond his surroundings. Despite being born into poverty and bangle-making, he wants to become a mechanic—showing that hope still flickers in even the darkest places.
17. What does the story suggest about India’s socio-economic divide?
Answer:
It portrays a stark contrast between the lives of the privileged and the poor. Children like Saheb and Mukesh represent millions whose lives are shaped by poverty and neglect.
18. Why is education a distant dream for these children?
Answer:
Economic compulsion, family responsibilities, and lack of access push education aside. Even though some want to study, they are forced into labor for survival.
19. What is the significance of the author’s personal interaction with the boys?
Answer:
Her direct conversations add authenticity and emotional depth. They bridge the reader with the realities of the poor, turning abstract issues into human stories.
20. Suggest a solution to the problems highlighted in “Lost Spring.”
Answer:
The solution lies in education, legal enforcement against child labor, empowering families with alternative livelihoods, and breaking traditional chains that confine children to generational poverty.
