Nedumkandam: A group of Tamil activists marched to the border areas of Kerala's Idukki district and shouted slogans in front of the houses in the area demanding the restart of border survey.

Tamil Nadu police arrested 42 workers of South Indian Forward Bloc near the Cumbum Mettu check post on the border with Kerala. The agitators demanded that a survey of the border areas must be restarted and warned the inhabitants to clear the area that they claimed to be Tamil Nadu's.

Idukki's border areas have been on the boil since June 12, when Tamil Nadu officials undertook a border survey and put up 14 boundary markers. At least three houses and five farms in Kerala were claimed to be in Tamil Nadu.

The survey, however, was suspended after a public outrage. Officials of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu held discussions and called off the survey for the time being.

On Tuesday, the South Indian Forward Bloc members sought to reignite the issue by barging into the border areas and putting up their flags. They even blocked roads before being taken away by the police.

Kattappana circle inspector V.S. Anil Kumar, Cumbummettu sub inspector Shanal Kumar and a posse of policemen were present in the area.

The agitators started gathering in Cumbum in Tamil Nadu from the morning in a dozen jeeps. The Uthamapalayam police promptly whisked them away but a couple of jeeps followed them and made their way into Cumbummettu, where the activists threatened the inhabitants.

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