In the context of the Chipko movement in India, who coined the famous environmental slogan "Ecology is permanent economy", which highlighted the link between environmental protection and sustainable economic development?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your understanding of the Chipko movement and the environmental thinkers who shaped its philosophy. It focuses on the origin of the slogan "Ecology is permanent economy", a phrase that clearly connects conservation of nature with long term livelihood security. Knowing the author of this slogan helps you link personalities with key ideas in modern Indian environmental history.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question refers to the Chipko movement in the Himalayan region of India.
• The slogan mentioned is "Ecology is permanent economy".
• All options are names of people associated with social and environmental movements in Uttarakhand or nearby regions.
• Only one of these activists actually coined this specific slogan.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this, you need basic factual knowledge of the Chipko movement and its leaders. Chipko is famous for villagers hugging trees to prevent commercial felling, and two names are especially central: Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna. The slogan "Ecology is permanent economy" became a concise summary of Bahuguna's argument that protecting forests provides sustainable economic security to mountain communities over generations.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Chipko movement began in the early 1970s in the Himalayan region, especially in present day Uttarakhand. Step 2: Associate major leaders with Chipko. Chandi Prasad Bhatt is known as an organiser and institution builder, while Sunderlal Bahuguna became the most visible spokesperson. Step 3: Remember that Bahuguna travelled widely with his message that environmental protection is not against development, but is in fact the soundest economic policy. Step 4: The phrase "Ecology is permanent economy" is directly linked with Sunderlal Bahuguna and appears in discussions of his speeches and writings. Step 5: Therefore, the correct answer must be Sunderlal Bahuguna.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling newspaper articles, NCERT environment chapters, or standard general studies books that discuss Chipko. They usually present Bahuguna as the person who popularised the idea that ecological security is the basis of sustainable livelihoods, and explicitly credit him with this slogan. Chandi Prasad Bhatt is praised for organisational work, but is not associated with this specific phrase. This cross check supports the choice of Sunderlal Bahuguna as the correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Chandi Prasad Bhatt was a key architect of Chipko and a major social activist, but he is not credited with coining the slogan "Ecology is permanent economy".
Shyam Prasad Bahuguna is not recognised in standard references as a central Chipko leader or the author of this slogan.
Bachni Devi and Gaura Devi were brave village women who led specific Chipko actions, but the famous slogan is not attributed to them.
Thus these options are plausible names from the movement but factually incorrect for this particular slogan.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna, because both are associated with Chipko and Himalayan environmentalism. Another error is to assume that any leading woman activist such as Gaura Devi must have created the slogan because of her central role in tree hugging incidents. The key is to separate the roles: some leaders organised protests on the ground, while others articulated the ideological message in memorable phrases. Learning to connect specific slogans with specific individuals is important in environment related general knowledge questions.

Final Answer:
The slogan "Ecology is permanent economy" associated with the Chipko movement was coined and popularised by Sunderlal Bahuguna.