ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anees Jung is an Indian woman author, journalist and columnist for major
newspapers in India and abroad, whose most noted work, Unveiling India (1987)
was a detailed chronicle of the lives of women in India, noted especially for the
depiction of Muslim women behind the purdah.
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION:
Born in Rourkela, Anees hails from an aristocratic family in Hyderabad - her
father, Nawab Hosh Yar Jung, was a renowned scholar and poet. After schooling
and college at Osmania University in Hyderabad, she went to the United States
for higher studies at University of Michigan Ann Arbor, where she did her Masters
in Sociology and American Studies.
CAREER:
She started her career in writing with the Youth Times, a Times of India
publication, where she worked as a journalist and editor (1976 to 1979). She has
subsequently worked for the Christian Science Monitor and International Herald
Tribune. Anees Jung lives in Delhi.

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Theme and Title:

The title 'lost spring' has a tinge of irony. Spring is the best season of the year.
Being full of colour, fragrance and freshness, it is also a season of renewal and
growth. The childhood of human life is often likened to spring, as it marks the
beginning of human life and has a tremendous scope for growth. It is full of joy,
pleasure and play. But ironically, millions of children like Saheb and Mukesh
experience no spring in their lives, for their childhood is consumed in making a
living. Education, play and pleasure are not for them to enjoy. They must work to
support themselves and their families. Thus the title brings out the corruption or
loss of childhood in a very symbolic way.

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Summary of Lost Spring:

The Lost Spring summary describes the terrible condition of poor children. These
children are those who didn't get to enjoy childhood because of the prevailing
socio-economic condition in this world. This is something that one can see all over
the world. These children don't have the opportunity for schooling. Moreover,
there is a lot of pressure on these children to enter into labour early in life. These
unfortunate children are forced into labour. This certainly denies them education
as well as the opportunity to have enjoyment. The author Anees Jung raises voice
to eliminate child labour. Jung does so by raising awareness regarding child
education and strict law enforcement against child labour. The call is to put an
end to the exploitation of children. This way the children will be able to enjoy the
days of the spring and haveIt is hub for bangle making.

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 GLASS BANGLE FACTORY AT FIROZABAD

 It is hub for bangle making

WORKING PLACE

 Small huts-dark, no light and very poor ventilation, high temperature, full
of smokes lanes of their shanty town, stink of garbage, hovels of
disintegrating walls, unsteady doors no windows, very narrow lane, over
crowded with humans and animals
 Thousands of adults and 20,000 children work there risking their eyes and
health.
 Dust of polishing glass bangles adversely affects their eyes and lungs.

ECONOMIC CONDITON
 Very bad- exploited by Shaahukaars (money lenders), Middleman,
politicians, police and bureaucrats.
 All the profits are bagged by them.

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  Workers are not allowed to form guilds or worker's union and are beaten
and exploited.
 They are compelled to lead sub-standard, unhealthy and deprived life.

Possible hazards:
 accidents, loss of vision, skin burns, bronchitis physical and mental
weakness, and genetic problems due to exposure to chemicals .
MUKESH

 A child labour in family profession of bangle making at Firozabad.

 He is daring and different from other young children of Firozabad who have
submitted to age-old miseries and traditional profession..
 Workers do not get even two times meal everyday.
 Mukesh wants to become a motor mechanic and his own master He is
ready to travel long way to garage.

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CHILD LABOUR

 Child labour or child labor refers to the exploitation of children through any
form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their
ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and
morally harmful. Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation worldwide,
although these laws do not consider all work by children as child labour;
exceptions include work by child artists, family duties, supervised training,
and some forms of child work practiced by Amish children, as well as by
indigenous children in the Americas.
 Child labour has existed to varying extents throughout history. During the
19th and early 20th centuries, many children aged 5-14 from poorer
families worked in Western nations and their colonies alike. These children
mainly worked in agriculture, home-based assembly operations, factories,
mining, and services such as news boys-some worked night shifts lasting 12
hours. With the rise of household income, availability of schools and
passage of child labour laws, the incidence rates of child labour fell.
 In the world's poorest countries, around one in four children are engaged in
child labour, the highest number of whom (29 percent) live in sub-saharan
Africa. In 2017, four African nations (Mali, Benin, Chad and Guinea-Bissau)
witnessed over 50 percent of children aged 5-14 working. Worldwide
agriculture is the largest employer of child labour. The vast majority of child
labour is found in rural settings and informal urban economies; children are

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 predominantly employed by their parents, rather than factories. Poverty
and lack of schools are considered the primary cause of child labour.
 Globally the incidence of child labour decreased from 25% to 10% between
1960 and 2003, according to the World Bank. Nevertheless, the total
number of child labourers remains high, with UNICEF and ILO
acknowledging an estimated 168 million children aged 5-17 worldwide
were involved in child labour in 2013.
Causes:

 Poverty and unemployment levels are high.

 Access to compulsory, free education is limited.
 Existing laws or codes of conduct are often violated.
 Laws and enforcement are often inadequate.
 National Laws Often Include Exemptions.
 Workers' rights are repressed.
 The global economy intensifies the effects of some factors.
 OVER POPULATION limited resources and more mouths to feed. Children
are employed a various forms of work .
 ILLITERACY iterate parents do not realize the need for a proper physical
emotional and cognitive development of a child.
 URBANIZATION MNC's and export industries in the developing world
employ child workers, particularly in the garment industry.

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Consequences of Child Labour

Poor Mental and Physical Health: Children are very vulnerable at a young age. It
affects their mental and physical health. Some studies show due to these works,
children have stunted growth.

They also lose their innocence at an early age. The kind of care and attention a child
needs growing up disappears because of the demands made from them.

Sexual Abuse-

There is sexual exploitation of both girls and boys. Some girls end up taking drugs,
infected by HIV, STDs sometimes early and unwanted pregnancy. They get into the trap
of prostitution or gets raped. In low-income families, girls are sold or married to older
men by parents for some money.

No Education-

According to statistics, in developing countries, one-third of the child population fails to

complete four years of their education. With the short-term benefits, they miss the
educational qualifications and skills, which makes them lead the life of poverty. It is the
lack of training that hinders their growth opportunity.

Physical Abuse-

There are various types of physical abuse, which involve cuts, burns, fractures,
excessive fears, and nightmares. These consistent injuries leave an everlasting impact
on a child’s mind.

To cope up with these fears and pressures, they end up abusing drugs. Ir tends to make
them mature faster than usual. Childhood dreams get replaced by bitter realities.

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Challenges in Controlling Child labor

Unclear Laws-

Child labor is not uniform. It takes place in many forms and types, depending on the kind of
work a child has to do. The laws are vague, which does not help in combating the crime of child
labor.

There are no strict guidelines that would protect the children from such horror. It is due to such
complexity and no clear instructions that it becomes difficult to save a child from the grip of this
crime.

Rehabilitation Problem-

The issue faced by the government and NGOs is that they lack the rehabilitation facility which
the child might need. With no proper facilities available, they can fall on the grips of labor
again.

For them to have a fresh start, those children need to feel the control of their new lives. These
children need proper guidance and counseling to get better and achieve things in life.

Lack of Awareness-

Education will be the key to combat child labor. It is because of the lack of proper education
and awareness; the families fall in this trap. There is a need for a proper awareness campaign to
educate parents about the pitfalls of child labor.

The importance should be given on giving quality and relevant education. The mindset has to
be changed in training young children to stop child labor.

What 'We' can do as a person to stop child labour?

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 • To donate funds in NGOs working for the rehabilitation of street
children.
• To contact NGOs and make them aware about child labour
happening in our society.
• To make the rural people aware about the benefits of education.
• To provide free education for the orphans.
• To start campaign against child labour.
• To help the government to stop child labour.

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