Lost Spring (Part 1)

The Story of a ragpicker.

Watch the VIDEO below for QUICK HINDI EXPLANATION

Important Questions

1.What does the author mean by ‘scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps’?

The author uses the poetic device of ‘Hyperbole’ here by equating their petty findings like old & torn shoes, clothes, used plastic bottles or iron scraps and sometimes a one rupee coin or a ten rupee note to gold.

It may actually be gold for them as their livelihood depended on what they collected from garbage.

2. Where was Saheb’s home town? Why did he migrate from there?

Saheb’s family had migrated from Dhaka. Due to frequent storms, their fields and home were destroyed. They were left with nothing. Thus, they migrated to Delhi with a hope of a better future and took to rag picking.

3. Why did Saheb say that he had nothing else to do?

Saheb’s family had migrated from Dhaka to Delhi with a hope of a good life. They had to start from scratch to settle in the big city and for that they needed money, which was possible if everyone in the family earned. So, Saheb, even though it was his age to go to school, went to work (rag-picking) with other children of his age. He didn’t have any time to play or go to school. Therefore, he tells the author that he had nothing else to do.

4. “Go to school,” I say glibly, realizing immediately how hollow the advice must sound. Why does the author feel that her advice was hollow?

Saheb told the author that he had nothing else to do therefore he picked rags to earn money. The author advised him to go to school instead. But then she realized the superficiality of her advice. Saheb’s family was living hand to mouth. All hands in the family meant money, so going to school for Saheb was out of the question.

5. Why is Saheb’s name ironic?

Saheb’s full name is Saheb-e-Alam, which means ‘lord of the universe’. From nowhere is Saheb, lord of the universe. He is sunk deep in poverty and makes a livelihood by ragpicking. He doesn’t even have proper clothes to wear and by no means he can afford to buy footwear for himself. It is ironic that the lord of the universe roams the streets barefoot in search of garbage and scrounges it to find something useful.

6. The author is told that it is a tradition to stay barefoot. Do you think these children were barefoot because of the tradition?

When the author asked the army of the ragpickers about the reason for their being barefoot, she was told that it was a tradition. However it was because of poverty and drudgery that they couldn’t afford to wear shoes. The children were trying to hide their poverty in the name of tradition.

7. Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it. What does the author mean by this?

Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi. But the place is a slum area, totally devoid of all the basic amenities. It is a place where people like Saheb who have come from Bangladesh live. They live in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. The pace at which Delhi has developed, not even one percent of that happened in Seemapuri. Though these people live close to Delhi, they live in a pitiable condition which is in sharp contrast to life in the capital city of Delhi. Thus, the author refers to Seemapuri as a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it. It is miles away from Delhi in terms of development, education, employment, basic amenities etc.

8. Compare and contrast the character of Saheb and Mukesh?

Saheb and Mukesh, both of almost the same age, are illiterate & poverty stricken. They toil the whole day, along with their families, to earn a meal a day for themselves. Saheb is a rag-picker whereas Mukesh is a bangle maker. Saheb’s family migrated from Dhaka, Bangladesh to India with a hope of living a better life here. Saheb, though poor, leads a carefree life, roaming around & picking rags with his friends until he is employed at a tea stall. Though he earns a sum of eight hundred rupees there, he has lost his freedom. Mukesh lives in Firozabad which is famous for its colorful bangles. Mukesh is bound to make bangles under hazardous conditions where there is a possibility of going blind due to glass dust and high temperatures. But he wants to break free from this lineage of his family and wishes to become a mechanic.

Thus both of them lead an underprivileged life with a little hope of improvement.

9. “But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.” What does the author mean by this?

The author is ashamed of making a promise that was not meant to be fulfilled. After a few days of their conversation about going to school, when Saheb asked her whether the school was ready, she realized the hollowness of her promise.

Poor people like Saheb are used to such hypocritical promises made by leaders & politicians for votes and once they come into power, nobody cares about those promises. They have become used to such insincere promises which are made to them every other day for personal gains.

The author, thus, felt embarrassed to once again break the innocent dream of Saheb who had believed her.

10. Discuss the title.

Spring is the season when new seedlings sprout. It is a transitional phase between winter & summer. It is a season of rejuvenation, trees and plants bloom with leaves and flowers. Childhood is thus equated to spring. It is the beginning of a new life ahead. The childhood innocence matures into productive adulthood. But in the story, Anees talks about two boys, Saheb and Mukesh, who are victims of abject poverty. Both of them have lost their childhood because of the unfavorable economic & social conditions of their families. It is difficult for their families to arrange a proper meal a day, leave aside sending their children to school. Saheb is a ragpicker and later takes a job at a tea stall and Mukesh works at a bangle factory in order to contribute to the family income. They are trapped in the vicious circles of poverty & exploitation, making it impossible for them to break free from it. Saheb has lost his childhood innocence under the burden of his plastic bag and then his canister, similarly Mukesh has lost it amidst the flickering lights in the bangle factory. Thus, the title of the story ‘Lost Spring’ is apt and justified.