1. Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran was a Sri Lankan Tamil rebel and the first Tamil militant to commit suicide by swallowing cyanide.
10 Facts About Pon Sivakumaran
1. 2.
Pon Sivakumaran was the son of Ponnuthurai, principal of Urumpirai Hindu Tamil Vidyasalai, and Annalakshmi.
3.
Pon Sivakumaran was educated at Urumpirai Hindu College and Jaffna Hindu College.
4.
In 1971 Sivakumaran joined the Tamil Student Federation, which had been formed in 1970 by Ponnuthurai Sathiyaseelan.
5.
In September 1970 Pon Sivakumaran tried to assassinate Chandrasiri as he visited Urumpirai Hindu College.
6.
Pon Sivakumaran placed a time bomb under Chandrasiri's car and quietly slipped away but when the bomb exploded no one was in the car.
7.
In February 1971 Pon Sivakumaran tried to assassinate Duraiappah by throwing a hand grenade on to Duraiappah's car which was parked on Second Cross Road in Jaffna.
8.
On 4 June 1974 TSF militants including Pon Sivakumaran attempted to rob the People's Bank in Kopay.
9.
Pon Sivakumaran became the first Tamil militant to die in such a manner and the first Tamil "martyr".
10.
Pon Sivakumaran's body was taken in procession from Jaffna hospital to Urumpirai.