NCERT Book Class 12 English (Flamingo) Prose 2 Lost Spring

2 Lost Spring
Stories of Stolen Childhood
About the author
Anees Jung (1944) was born in Rourkela and spent her childhood
and adolescence in Hyderabad. She received her education in
Hyderabad and in the United States of America. Her parents were
both writers. Anees Jung began her career as a writer in India.
She has been an editor and columnist for major newspapers in
India and abroad, and has authored several books. The following
is an excerpt from her book titled Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen
Childhood. Here she analyses the grinding poverty and traditions
which condemn these children to a life of exploitation.

Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context.
 looking for  perpetual state of poverty
 slog their daylight hours  dark hutments
 roof over his head  imposed the baggage on the child

‘Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage’
“Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning
scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps of my neighbourhood.
Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka,
his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms
that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s
why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives.
“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away.
“Go to school,” I say glibly, realising immediately how hollow
the advice must sound.
“There is no school in my neighbourhood. When they build
one, I will go.”
“If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking.