CM Pema Khandu hails Sanctuary Asia issue on Arunachal frontier

Key Takeaways

Sanctuary Asia has dedicated its August 2026 supplementary issue to Fortress India , a national initiative founded by Shiv Kunal Verma .

The issue features contributions from General (Dr.) V.K.

Singh (Patron), Shiv Kunal Verma , and Bittu Sahgal , Editor of Sanctuary Asia.

CM Pema Khandu called the publication 'a remarkable tribute to India's eastern Himalayan frontier.' Fortress India aims to reconnect Indians with the country's geography, history, ecology, and strategic frontiers.

Arunachal Pradesh is the central focus, recognised for its biodiversity and cultural heritage along India's eastern frontier.

A wildlife magazine's special edition on India's eastern Himalayan frontier has drawn praise from the highest office in Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday, 1 August 2026, welcomed Sanctuary Asia's decision to dedicate its August 2026 supplementary issue to Fortress India — a national initiative that seeks to reconnect Indians with the country's geography, history, ecology, and strategic frontiers.

What Fortress India is and why it matters to the Northeast

Fortress India was founded by Shiv Kunal Verma with a clear purpose: to build public awareness of India's physical landscape, its border regions, and the natural and cultural heritage embedded within them. The eastern Himalayan frontier — home to some of India's most contested and biodiverse terrain — sits at the heart of that mission. Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a long boundary with China and Bhutan and harbours extraordinary biodiversity, is a natural focal point for any such initiative. The supplementary issue features contributions from General (Dr.) V.K. Singh, Patron of Fortress India, alongside Shiv Kunal Verma himself and Bittu Sahgal, Editor of Sanctuary Asia. CM Khandu described the publication as 'a remarkable tribute to India's eastern Himalayan frontier and the invaluable natural and cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh.'

Sanctuary Asia's long role in India's conservation conversation

Sanctuary Asia has long served as one of India's most prominent voices on wildlife and ecology. Edited by Bittu Sahgal, the magazine has consistently used its platform to spotlight endangered ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Dedicating a supplementary issue to the Fortress India initiative marks a convergence of conservation journalism and strategic-geography awareness — a combination that northeastern India, with its layered identity as both ecological hotspot and sensitive frontier zone, uniquely demands. Civil society and media initiatives spotlighting the Northeast have periodically surged in visibility, particularly as public interest in India's border regions has grown. This publication lands at a moment when Arunachal Pradesh's geopolitical profile remains high. CM Khandu extended congratulations to 'everyone associated with this outstanding publication' — a signal of official endorsement that is likely to amplify the issue's reach across the state and beyond.

Point of View

Such convergence of conservation media and border-awareness messaging reinforces a broader pattern of soft-power narrative-building around the region. The involvement of a former Army Chief-turned-politician in General (Dr.) V.K. Singh as Fortress India's Patron adds institutional heft. For the BJP government in Itanagar, aligning with Fortress India also signals cultural and strategic nationalism without entering the domain of hard security rhetoric.

NationPress

2 Aug 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fortress India?

Fortress India is a national initiative founded by Shiv Kunal Verma to reconnect Indians with the country's geography, history, ecology, and strategic frontiers, with a particular focus on border regions.

What is the Sanctuary Asia August 2026 supplementary issue about?

The supplementary issue is dedicated to Fortress India and focuses on India's eastern Himalayan frontier, highlighting the natural and cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh .

Who contributed to the Sanctuary Asia Fortress India issue?

Contributors include General (Dr.) V.K. Singh , Patron of Fortress India, Shiv Kunal Verma , founder of Fortress India, and Bittu Sahgal , Editor of Sanctuary Asia.

Why did Pema Khandu comment on the Sanctuary Asia issue?

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu welcomed the issue because it spotlights his state's eastern Himalayan frontier and its natural and cultural heritage, calling it 'a remarkable tribute.'

What is Sanctuary Asia?

Sanctuary Asia is a prominent Indian magazine focused on wildlife, ecology, and environmental issues, edited by Bittu Sahgal .