The turn of events at Manesar is very disturbing. Killing anyone, whatever be the provocation, is unacceptable. The event brings forth the topic of how well prepared are we as a nation to handle such flare-ups. On one hand, we must reform our archaic labor laws and make flexible staffing easier for the companies. On the other, companies must step up HR practices and investments in people to provide the confidence that flexibility is not misused. The HR profession must rise to the occasion and refocus on building a true, genuine, consultative employee relationship across the work force. This will need re-skilling HR professionals, as for a while, the bulk of them have been engaged with 'growth' challenges. HR profession must get ready to manage 'downturn' as well. When growth is not on the horizon, fairness, equity and meaningful engagement become even more critical. HR professionals must address these issues and build strong people governance frameworks at the enterprise levels.