The AIADMK on Saturday said that it has disbursed Rs 7.34 crore as relief to families of 244 persons who allegedly committed suicide following party leader Jayalalithaa’s conviction in disproportionate assets case last September.A press statement says that Rs 7.32 crore has been given away to families of 244 persons who committed suicide and Rs two lakh to four persons towards medical treatment.Soon after news of former J Jayalalithaa’s conviction began to be telecast in September 2014, her supporters were seen on the roads in several parts of Tamil Nadu, wailing on the roads, beating their chests. Within some hours, news came in of people who had died of “shock”. Later, there was news of people who had committed suicide.But this is not the first time such a thing has happened, not is Jayalalithaa the only one for whom such deaths occur. Jayalalithaa is merely one of several iconic people, perhaps the only woman, in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and undivided Andhra Pradesh, where people kill themselves for a cause or for a personality.Politicians are not the only ones who are admired in extremes. Film stars too have cult status.After Kannada superstar Rajkumar’s death in April 2006, hundreds of his fans descended onto Bangalore’s streets running riot, damaging property and clashing with police. Eight people died, including one police officer.Much before that, on December 24, 1987, when Tamil star M G Ramachandran died after a long illness, his fans rioted in various parts of Tamil Nadu, and it took nearly a month for all the violence to end. Twenty nine people in the violence immediately after his funeral, and 30 fans had committed suicide.Although this has happened many times, the worshipped politicians or film stars have never clearly asked their admirers to refrain from violence, directed either at others or themselves.Jayalalithaa and everyone else like her with god-like status, should perhaps consider that money will not compensate for the death of a person.So is it time that leaders like Jayalalithaa stop condoning and indirectly supporting such behavior by announcing compensation and relief?