The Indian rock scene suffered a big setback on Thursday as Amit Saigal, founder-editor of music magazine Rock Street Journal, died after an asthma attack while swimming off the coast of Goa.
Sources said Saigal, known to Indian musicians as Papa Rock, and his friends had taken a sailboat out and were swimming off Bogmalo beach in South Goa when a lifeguard saw people gesticulating wildly from the boat at around 12.20 pm. “We reached the boat on a jet ski. They had pulled him (Saigal) out of the water, but he didn’t have a pulse,” said a lifeguard.
“Saigal’s friends said he was asthmatic. We presume he suffered an asthma attack while swimming off the boat anchored some distance from the beach,” said a beach management service official.
The police has registered a case of unnatural death.
Saigal was involved in the Indian rock music industry for over 25 years: it was because of his initiative and support that many Indian rock bands became famous. He started Rock Street Journal in 1993 with Shena Gamat Saigal from Allahabad to provide support o fledgling rock bands of the country.
As news of Saigal’s death spread, social networking websites came alive with tributes.
“The worst news ever... he put so many rock bands on the map. R.I.P. Amit,” posted Jeffrey Rik. A Facebook page “R.I.P. Amit Saigal” was also started on Thursday.