Dominating the meeting will be the question of whether the NC should now withdraw from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's coalition government, after his cabinet summarily rejected the autonomy proposal on July 4.

The Kashmir assembly, in which the NC enjoys a two-thirds majority, adopted a resolution on June 26 calling for complete autonomy for the Muslim-majority state, except in matters related to finance, defense and communications.

Vajpayee's Hindu nationalist BJP party, which heads the central coalition government, was bitterly opposed to the autonomy proposal, labeling it a first step towards Kashmiri secession from India.

Although the coalition can cope without the four National Conference MPs in the federal parliament, analysts say it has no wish to further estrange the ruling party in what is a very sensitive state.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah gave no real indication as to what Monday's meeting of the NC working committee -- the party's top decision-making body -- might decide about its continued membership of Vajpayee's coalition. Abdullah said he felt "hurt and alienated" by the cabinet's rejection of the autonomy plan.

He also rejected any prospect of his dismissal by New Delhi. "Gone are the days when the state government was dismissed and gone are the leaders who used to sack the state ministries," he said.

Prior to Monday's meeting, Kashmir State Education Minister Mohammad Shafi would only say that discussion would center on "state-state relations. What the outcome will be, I do not know," Shafi said.

One NC state legislator, Mohammad Aslam, stressed that the autonomy debate was far from over, despite New Delhi's uncompromising stance. "In the fight between weak and strong, the weaker has to go to the wall. But that does not stop the weaker from continuing his struggle," Aslam said.

The National Conference argues that autonomy is the only path towards a long-term resolution of the Muslims' insurgency in Kashmir, which has claimed more than 25,000 lives since its launch in 1989.

In New Delhi, the government tried to strike a conciliatory note towards Abdullah, saying it was open to discussion on granting certain powers to the state
assembly - although not full autonomy.

"It is in the interest of Farooq and the National Conference that the door against dialogue not be slammed shut," said Law Minister Ram Jethmalani.

"I am sure Farooq will find enough response from the Indian government if an approach is made in the right manner," Jethmalani said in an interview with the Star TV network.

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