This indeed is a moment of truth for the HR fraternity. Even as we are deeply anguished with the turn of events, what is truly distressing is losing a colleague like Awanish, and seeing many more grievously injured in unpardonable circumstances. As we mourn his demise, it is an irreparable loss for Awanish’s family. We perhaps owe it him, and colleagues like him who have faced such violence, to look at this entire issue at a more fundamental level to mitigate the likelihood of the recurrence of such horrendous events. We would need to collectively diagnose the root causes , be it the antiquated labor reforms, income disparities within the organization, contract labor issues, role of unions and its influencers, expedient short-term actions, social dimensions, education related disconnects, the maturity of employee relations, etc. The fraternity would need to address the entire spectrum of stake-holders, be it the government, HR bodies, corporates, unions, student fraternity, global investors, etc. We do need a permanent long-term systemic solution where discords are handled with dignity and resolutions are found for seemingly intractable problems, coupled with a mode to firmly and decisively control and prevent such horrendous antisocial behaviors. Let us join hands and work towards concrete actions that will pave the way for a better future for all.