Mumbai, February 16 Suraj Shrimant Bhujbal, a migrant from Maharashtra who died after fainting at a rally organized by TVK chief and Tamil actor Vijay in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, last week, was a devoted fan of the actor and had attended the event in person, his close friend said on Monday.
He was involved in the business of melting silver and was the sole provider for his family, the friend said.
Bhujbal's last rites were performed on Sunday at his native village, Natepute, in Solapur district, Maharashtra, two days after he collapsed at the rally in Salem, where Vijay, the founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), addressed a gathering on Friday.
The 37-year-old had moved from Maharashtra to the southern state 20 years ago and had been living in Salem with his wife and two children – a 12-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son.
According to the Salem police, Bhujbal collapsed after complaining of chest pain and was immediately rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"He was a huge fan of Vijay and had gone to see his favourite actor in person. He had a ticket, but while attending the rally, he fainted and later died in the hospital," his friend Mauli Kodankar, who also lives in Salem, told
"He was the sole breadwinner of the house and provided financial support to the family. His elderly parents and an elder brother live in his native village, where they have a small plot of land. However, farming was not very profitable, so Suraj used to send money to his parents every month to help them financially," said Kodankar.
Like Bhujbal, his friend had also moved to the southern state in search of livelihood.
"Suraj and I left our village in 2005 and have stayed very close ever since. As we were away from our home state, we always looked out for each other in case of any emergency," said Kodankar, mourning the loss of his long-time friend.
He had many dreams for his family and children, but his sudden death has shattered everything, Kodankar maintained, adding, "it all went away in a single day."
"After the incident, the district unit chief of the TVK party approached us and offered financial assistance to his family in Salem, promising to pay for their education expenses until Class 12 and arrange for transportation of his body back to his native village," said Kodankar.
"The party's office-bearers in the district have also helped the family. So, we have no complaints," he stated.