[2][a] He was the son of Ponnuthurai, principal of Urumpirai Hindu Tamil Vidyasalai, and Annalakshmi.

[5][12] Whilst speaking at an event at Colombo Hindu College in July 1970 Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs Somaweera Chandrasiri, a Sinhalese politician, claimed that Sinhalese and Tamil cultures were linked.

[5] In January 1974 nine civilians were massacred by the police at the World Tamil Conference in Jaffna.

[14] Tamil militants blamed the government and Posts and Telecommunications Minister Chelliah Kumarasuriar for the massacre.

[16] On 4 June 1974 TSF[c] militants including Sivakumaran attempted to rob the People's Bank in Kopay.

[16][17][25] As the bank's police guards gave chase, a cornered Sivakumaran swallowed a vial of cyanide, dying instantly.

[12][24][27] A large public funeral was held which was attended by senior Tamil politicians.

[24] Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader V. Prabhakaran would later claim that Sivakumaran's death was the inspiration for LTTE cadres carrying cyanide capsules as standard equipment.