“Caste is a division of laborer, not the division of labor.”
This statement, popularized by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, criticizes the caste system for its unjust structure. In a fair society, labor is divided based on skill and interest. However, in the caste system, people are assigned roles based on birth, not ability.
The phrase means that caste divides people, not just work. It restricts personal growth and enforces inequality by tying people to specific occupations for life. It turns a functional division of labor into a system of discrimination.
Ambedkar argued that caste suppresses human freedom and dignity. A true division of labor values all work equally and allows social mobility, which caste does not.