Though Anna was CM only briefly, during his illness several DMK workers attempted suicide. M.G. Ramachandran, screen idol and ex-DMK leader who broke away and floated the AIADMK, also had hyper-dedicated supporters. When he was declared critically ill in 1987, 22 people committed suicide, hoping their deaths would breathe life into the leader. After his death, more people gave up on life. More recently, to bring J. Jayalalitha luck on her birthday, cabinet minister Indira Kumari, along with other women workers, danced in a temple clad in neem leaves. In February '03, 40-year-old Gunasekaran did an Ekalavyan for Amma on her 55th birthday—he severed the little finger of his right hand with a sickle and dropped it in the temple offerings box. This, to give Jayalalitha a long life. The CM wisely ordered plastic surgeons at Apollo Hospital, Chennai, to reattach the finger. The AIADMK bore the costs.