Why ‘Achche Din’ still elude Bahujans: Mayawati raises sharp questions on Ambedkar’s Parinirvan Diwas

On the occasion of the Parinirvan Diwas of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) National President and former four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati, paid floral tributes at her New Delhi residence.
While honouring the architect of the Indian Constitution, she sharply questioned why the “Achche Din” (better days) envisioned for crores of Bahujans have still not arrived.

“Why have the historically oppressed still not seen better days?” Mayawati asked. She said that despite Ambedkar’s lifelong struggle and the constitutional safeguards ensured for Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, and other marginalized communities, their lives have not seen meaningful or sustained improvement.

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She emphasized that on national occasions such as Independence Day, Republic Day, Ambedkar Jayanti and today’s Parinirvan Diwas, one question repeatedly surfaces:

According to Mayawati, as the only “Ambedkarite national party,” the BSP remains concerned that genuine development for the oppressed majority continues to be ignored under caste-driven political rule. She alleged that opposing parties employ “all kinds of tactics and conspiracies” to prevent Bahujans from emerging as a ruling class — something Dr. Ambedkar believed was essential for real social transformation.

Urging the community to recognize the power of their vote, she appealed to people to actively participate in the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls being conducted by the Election Commission.

Following party tradition, large numbers of Ambedkar followers and BSP workers gathered at key monuments.

In Lucknow, thousands offered tributes at the grand “Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal,” built during the BSP government. In Noida, people from western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand assembled at the “Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal & Green Garden,” where BSP National Coordinator Akash Anand also paid homage. Similar zone-level programmes were held across other states.

Speakers at these events recalled the extensive work done during Mayawati’s four terms as Chief Minister — the construction of memorials and parks, creation of new districts, and establishment of educational and medical institutions named after social reformers such as Jyotiba Phule, Sri Narayana Guru, Shahuji Maharaj, Dr. Ambedkar, and Kanshi Ram. These icons, they said, had long been neglected by caste-dominated governments.

Mayawati noted that heavy security arrangements during such public events often cause major inconvenience to followers travelling from distant regions. To avoid repeated hardship to the public, she said she now prefers paying tributes from her residence or the party office instead of visiting the monuments in person.

Referring to recent discussions on the sharp depreciation of the rupee, Mayawati said the issue is not merely economic but also has significant political and national implications. She urged the government to treat the matter with urgency and take concrete corrective measures.

Concluding her statement, Mayawati called upon society and governments to sincerely follow Dr. Ambedkar’s humanitarian, constitutional and democratic principles. In today’s challenging times, she said, correctly understanding Ambedkar and following the path he laid out is the greatest need of the hour.