The three children were rescued this year from Maoists, who had turned them into their slaves. (File)
Three children, who were abducted by Maoists in Jharkhand to induct them in their ranks, are now studying in a school and aspire to become civil servants.
Lavkesh (12) Sitaram Singh (12) and Jitendra (13) were abducted last year by Maoists who after subjecting them to harsh training, often empty stomach, wanted them to become their cadres.
The Maoists thrashed these children when, unable to bear the hardship, resisted. They were enduring hardship in deep forests of the insurgency-hit Latehar district of Jharkhand.
"I was playing football with my friends when the Naxals abducted me from near my house. They initially told me that my poor family would be given money in lieu of work I will undertake. However, no money was ever paid to my parents," Lavkesh, a resident of Kheerakhan village of Latehar district, said.
Sitaram Singh, who belongs to Ladi village, said, "Naxals forced us to do household chores like cleaning utensils, washing clothes and preparing food. We were never given money and were made to sleep without food for days.
"If we complained of hardship, Naxals used to beat us brutally and threaten to eliminate our family," he said.
"Since Naxals were getting exposed in public, who stopped supporting them on learning about their money-driven agenda, they became frustrated," Superintendent of Police, Latehar, Anoop Birtharay said.
"As youth and locals, who were earlier, in some cases, supporting them and even joined their ranks, refused to buy their agenda, Naxals began abducting children so that they can brainwash them and make future ultras," he said.
Jitendra, a resident of Bishwabandh village, said he was grazing his cattle close to his house when about a group of 50-60 people abducted them.
"We were not allowed to sleep or eat properly as they used to beat and abuse us almost daily. We had to spend nearly a year there which was like a hell," he said.
The three children were rescued this year from Maoists, who had turned them into their slaves, in separate joint operations of Jharkhand Police and CRPF.
"The children are now studying in Class IV in a school here in Latehar and their entire expenses are being taken care of by the Jharkhand Police. They are in round-the-clock supervision of school administration and live in a hostel," Mr Birtharay said.
Lavkesh said, "It is like a rebirth for all of us. We are grateful to the police and the government for the good that happened to us after we were rescued. Now we all want to become civil servants so that we can serve our nation".
"We were not included in any operation or attacks of Naxals as they mostly used to engage us in doing household chores," Sitaram said.
"Though there is no official figure available, it is estimated that about 30 more such children are believed to be in the Naxals custody in Jharkhand.
"We hope to rescue them as soon as possible as forces are working very hard," Mr Birtharay said.
Maoists have largely been neutralised in the Latehar and fled to other districts where security forces are also carrying out operations, the police claimed.