Jammu, March 27 : Hindu villagers who fled to towns in Jammu and Kashmir to escape the wrath of rampaging terrorists are “mortgaging” their children to make both ends meet, a legislator said Monday.

Several people fled from the hills of Udhampur district to towns like Reasi and Talwara to escape the wrath of the terrorists in 1998.

In that region, terrorists had savagely killed innocent Hindus living in remote areas with axes and stones and forced them to flee their homes.

Even after eight years, the government has not come to their rescue. In desperation, they are now “mortgaging” their children with rich families to buy food for themselves.

Balwant Singh Mankotia, a legislator from the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, made the startling allegation in the assembly. He drew attention to the “wretched condition” of the migrants. He alleged that government neglect had forced the migrants to virtually abandon their children and discard them as virtual “slaves”.

Mankotia gave the names of some children who have been mortgaged, their age varying from 10 to 14 years. He said at least 200 children had been “mortgaged”.