 Selvarajah was born in Dandugama in Colombo District in 1954, and moved to Anaikoddai in Jaffna in his early 16's.He had his early education in Negombo, Vivekananda Maha Vidyalayam and St. Mary's College.His career began in 1976 as a librarian at Ramanathan College, Chunnakam in Sri Lanka.