JAMMU, June 25 — Despite the fact that the motion seeking restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, if adopted by the state Assembly, now in session in Srinagar, tomorrow, may not set the Jhelum on fire, all eyes are focussed on the outcome of the debate on Monday.

By adopting the motion the state cannot secure restoration of pre-1953 constitutional status under which Foreign Affairs, Defence and Communications were with the Centre and the rest of the subjects were with the state government. This is so because reversal of the constitutional position requires approval from Parliament and later the President of India.

Certain legal experts do not find any reason for the Centre to get upset over it. However, political pundits are of the firm opinion that if the motion or resolution was adopted it could create further political confusion, allowing opportunities to the separatists, to cash on it.

It is in this background that the dust raising debate was witnessed during the past four days on the floor of the Assembly, in which a majority of the National Conference members, including several ministers, adopted highly anti-Centre postures. National Conference members, while exchanging hot words with the Opposition members, washed dirty linen on the floor of the House, berating the Centre for propping up paid agents to dislodge elected governments in the past.

The nature of the debate naturally generated heat in Jammu and Ladakh regions. An atmosphere has been built which is surcharged with communal and regional passions. The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, was seen in a highly uneasy state while the debate on the motion was on in the Assembly on Saturday. He had to intervene twice to make amends for the full-throated criticism, launched by his ministerial colleagues against the Centre.

It is in this context that the Chief Minister convened a meeting of all members of the Council of Ministers and some party legislators in Srinagar today. As was the case in the Assembly several ministers were in a defiant mood. When a suggestion was mooted by some senior leaders that the issue be taken to the party workers and public opinion built in favour of the restoration of greater autonomy some ministers reacted by saying. “Now or never.”

The strategy which the National Conference members should adopt tomorrow when the debate on the motion is resumed was briefly discussed during the dinner a former Minister for Housing, Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, had hosted in honour of the Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and party legislators and leaders on Saturday evening. However, no definite strategy could be evolved.

Informed sources said the Chief Minister tried to pacify his party colleagues who wanted the resolution to be adopted by he state legislature. According to these sources, two broad suggestions were discussed. One, that the resolution suggesting to the central government to constitute a ministerial team for discussing the autonomy issue with the state government team be adopted and sent to the PMO. The second suggestion was that the debate be left inconclusive and be taken up for further discussion during the autumn session of the state legislature in October.

There are two aspects of the motion. One is to seek establishment of a central ministerial team to discuss the autonomy report and the other is to adopt the motion right now.