The barbaric rape and murder of the eight-year old girl in Kathua, Jammu, has gripped the nation. National outrage has ensured that the course of justice in this case will be carefully monitored.

Along with the Unnao rape case, the Kathua case has once again brought the national spotlight on gender-based violence. However, there is one aspect to the Kathua case that is unlikely to garner similar attention, and that has to do with the evolution of politics in Jammu and Kashmir.