Left intellectuals, in the writing about identity and justice and development, they just act as if caste doesn’t exist. Where actually it’s the engine that drives Indian society. And it’s not merely an economic engine, it’s a social and a cultural and a religious practice. And, sadly, it’s practiced by all of society.

Writer Arundhati Roy explains how caste and capitalism turned democracy against Indians, and Indians against themselves, then highlights the revolutionary struggles of B.R. Ambedkar and G.N. Saibaba.

Arundhati will be reading from Capitalism: A Ghost Story and Field Notes on Democracy during the Socialism 2015 conference next week in Chicago.