This past week, India has seen a landmark judgement, upholding the conviction of Sajjan Kumar, in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The Delhi High Court has slammed the culture of mass killing. Also, over the past few days we have seen yet another sabotage of a literature festival event, this time at the Ajmer Lit fest as a response to Naseeruddin Shah's statement condemning the apparent impunity of mob violence. We discuss, how to build bridges and find solutions in these times of hate and why even after seven decades of independence, violence continues to enjoy social sanction. And how we can break the cycle?