With such changes, an individual must be free to change his occupation. Looked at from another point of view this stratification of occupations which is the result of the Caste System is positively pernicious. This principle is violated in the Caste System in so far as it involves an attempt to appoint tasks to individuals in advance, selected not on the basis of trained original capacities, but on that of the social status of the parents. Social and individual efficiency requires us to develop the capacity of an individual to the point of competency to choose and to make his own career. This division of labour is not spontaneous it is not based on natural aptitudes.

There is also a third point of criticism against this view of the Caste System. In no other country is the division of labour accompanied by this gradation of labourers. Caste System is not merely a division of labourers which is quite different from division of labour-it is a hierarchy in which the divisions of labourers are graded one above the other. But in no civilised society is division of labour accompanied by this unnatural division of labourers into watertight compartments. Civilised society undoubtedly needs division of labour. Now the first thing is to be urged against this view is that Caste System is not merely division of labour. It is defended on the ground that the Caste System is but another name for division of labour and if division of labour is a necessary feature of every civilised society, then it is argued that there is nothing wrong in the Caste System.

It is a pity that Caste even today has its defenders. It was at one time recognised that without social efficiency no permanent progress in the other fields of activity was possible, that owing to mischief wrought by the evil customs, Hindu Society was not in a state of efficiency and that ceaseless efforts must be made to eradicate these evils. Social reform in India has few friends and many critics. The path of social reform in India is strewn with many difficulties. “It is a pity that Caste even today has its defenders.” The entire text of the speech can be read here. Below are excerpts from the undelivered speech.

Dr ambedkar annihilation of caste