From the start of this year, the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) - Singapore's think-tank focusing on South Asia - has had its fifth director. Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea has had a storied career that has taken him from humble origins to academic stardom.
Born in Singapore into a Sikh family that had immigrated from Punjab in India, the 47-year-old grew up in a factory in Genting Lane where his father worked as a "jaga" or security guard. From an early age, through stories, movies and books, he was fascinated by South Asia.
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