Sivanayagam became the first editor of the "Saturday Review" in January 1982. After the Black July riots of 1983 the Sri Lankan government banned the "Saturday Review" and Sivanayagam, fearing arrest, fled to Madras where he was in charge of the Tamil Information Centre and Tamil Information and Research Institute. He contributed articles to several journals. He became editor of the newly created "Tamil Nation" journal in October 1990. After the assassination Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 Sivanayagam was arrested under the National Security Act and imprisoned without charge. He was abused and tortured by the Indian police. After being released Sivanayagam sought asylum in France in 1993.