Silchar | The Barak Upotyokya Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan has called for a high-level, impartial inquiry into the October 23 violence in Sribhumi involving a Bihu performance troupe, urging authorities and civil society to prevent the incident from straining longstanding ties between Assamese and Bengali communities.

In a statement, the organisation condemned the incident as “unfortunate and undesirable” and called for a thorough investigation into the violence, the alleged role of those who instigated it and the administration’s response.

Central spokesperson Gautam Prasad Dutta said unverified claims and provocative social media posts risked creating unnecessary tensions between communities in the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys. He appealed to governments, cultural organisations and civil society groups to promote communal harmony and counter inflammatory narratives.

Dutta maintained that there had been no objection to the performance of Bihu songs and dances during the idol immersion procession organised by Club Hindustan after Vijaya Dashami. According to him, certain groups had exaggerated the incident without properly verifying the facts.

The procession featured Assamese performers from Bargol and Adarkona in the Barak Valley. Participants also paid tribute to cultural icons Dr Bhupen Hazarika and Zubeen Garg, as well as Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, Dutta said.

Referring to the preliminary findings of Sribhumi district police, the organisation’s spokesperson said the incident did not appear to involve a conflict between Assamese and Bengali communities. He stressed that the circumstances surrounding the midnight violence should be investigated impartially and that those found responsible should face legal action without political interference.

The organisation also urged people across linguistic and ethnic communities to exercise restraint and challenge misleading or inflammatory content circulating on social media and other platforms. Meanwhile, police have said they have found no evidence of a communal angle in the incident so far. Sribhumi Senior Superintendent of Police Leena Doley said on Monday that the clash appeared to have originated from a scuffle involving people who had consumed alcohol.

The number of arrests in the case had risen to 17 by Monday, including four people taken into custody on Sunday night. Earlier, 13 members of Club Hindustan, which organised the Bihu performances during its final idol immersion procession of the year, had been arrested.

The incident triggered protests in Sribhumi on Monday, with the All Assam Students’ Union staging a demonstration outside the District Commissioner’s Office. Protesters demanded justice for the affected performers and strict action against those involved.

The Banga Sahitya organisation reiterated that a transparent investigation, responsible public discourse and cooperation among communities were essential to establishing the facts and preventing the incident from becoming a source of wider social tension.