On 30th October this year, the police raided the zari(lace made of gold threads) factory in New Delhi where we were working.

When the police came we were eating. We were told that we are too young to be working in a factory. Child labour – that’s what the police said – was banned by the government of India and it is illegal for us to work.

But when we go back home, can anyone assure us that we won’t just be sent back to work again? And if we don’t work, then how do we eat?

I was very scared when the police came. However, later I realized that they were there to help us, but I am still a little scared. I am living in a home with my other friends now – we were all rescued from the Shahpur Jat village in the outskirts of Delhi.

I was brought here to work in the factory four months back by my uncle from Midnapore, in West Bengal.

I did not want to leave my studies but I was forced to. I was studying in class 2 when one day my whole world changed. I came back from the school and found that my uncle had come to take me to Delhi. I said I didn’t want to go but my parents made me. We are very poor and they said that the money will help them out. My brother also works in the factory.

I have my parents and my mother and sister at home. My father earns 30 rupees a day (less than $1) and with that he has to feed four people. My mother does some bits of work sewing and earns 100 (around $2) rupees a month. I got a free lunch at my school.

I got onto a train with my uncle. We got off at a big station with lots of food stalls and people and then got onto another train. I had never been on a train before. We travelled through the night and I couldn't sleep. I was excited about getting on a train for the first time but worried about what lay ahead of me.

The factory I worked in was huge. There were high walls all around so that we couldn’t see anything outside. There were many boys of my age who worked there but we never had any chance to play together as we were always working. If we were caught chatting we would get a beating.

We worked in a huge, dim room from 10am till 10pm. We were given good food to eat and a place to stay. I willed myself to work because I knew that the money I was earning would help my parents back home.

However, the work was very painful. I had to sit and bend down throughout my shift. The work was so fine that if I looked up or stretched myself even once it would ruin the entire design. Sitting for so long made my eyes water and my head hurt. I began to work with a stoop.

I used to miss my parents a lot. I would speak to them from time to time but that was never enough. I cried in the night thinking of my village, the mischief I used to get up to with my friends.

I am happy now that we have been brought out of that stifling factory. But I do not like staying in this home and would like to go back to my own home and continue with my studies. However, I do not know what destiny has in store for me.

Saying that but I cannot also help feeling sad. I was earning around 100 rupees ($2) a day as an apprentice in the factory. But now that I cannot work anymore, what will happen to my family?

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Chotu told his story to Sweeble correspondent Nilanjana Bhattacharya in Delhi.

Despite the crackdowns, trafficking of children from West Bengal is a regular occurrence. They are put to work in bidi factories and embroidery factories where nimble fingers are in demand for the fine work. India's Bonded Labor Act, entitles underage workers to claim 20,000 rupees (about $500) compensation from the government in order to prevent them returning to work. Read more:

Indian police rescue child workers from factory

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