Lallan, the philosopher cabbie

I feel that Mumbai is the only place I have lived in which I can call a city. This despite being a Bengalurean, and despite living in the US for 12 years.

I lived in Cuffe Parade, Mumbai, from 2014 to 2019. Everything was a walking distance from home: my office, theatres, restaurants, printers, tailors, hair salons, bookstores, Japanese classes, visa offices, bank headquarters, the only Rolex service centre in India, you name it.

Mumbai is eclectic. Mumbaikars are from all over the country. From businesspeople to artists, from corporate leaders to fisherfolks, all co-exist and mingle. I am sharing a story from September 18, 2015. The story is about a cab driver. My cab driver that day, Lallan, turned out to be quite a philosopher.

The cabbies in Mumbai know when and with whom to get into a conversation. Lallan gauged that he could chat with me. He talked about Mumbai and its infrastructure. How if he had the power, he would change the road system to make the traffic flow better. He was talking about tunnels through the hills and bridges over waterways -- with specifics. I was struck by his intelligence and told him so. He was then encouraged to talk about deeper topics of life and philosophy. Lallan’s life’s philosophy was quite simple. Watch what you say, as your words make you: shabdo dharthi, shabdo aakaash, shabdo bhaya prakash; from the word (sound) is created the earth, from sound the sky, and from sound is created even light (Gurbani)!

Lallan had come from Bihar. He started off as a house help, washing vessels. In his words, somewhere down the line, as he kept washing vessels, he became a driver. His father had died young. He felt that the stresses of the world killed his father. When the doctors give a diagnosis, Lallan says, they do not look at the root cause. Whenever he himself felt ill, Lallan said he retreated from the daily grind and cured himself through meditation, as guided by his guru. He did not prefer synthetic medicines. Lallan said that one must go back to the basics and connect with nature in its fundamental form (pancha tatva – five elements) for healthier living. The fundamental elements he was talking about are Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Sky. Also, he said, khane bhar ki kamayi – earn only enough to feed your stomach. Lallan said no one spared the time to take care of themselves and most people were lost in false pursuits and wealth accumulation. Modern education only makes a person stupid; true knowledge is obtained in a deeply meditative state!

Another of Lallan’s statements: men are disunited; women are united in Maya and run this world. The ride was not long enough for me to understand that one!

To date, when I think of Lallan, what I remember is his intellectual capacity. With no exposure beyond Mumbai, he nevertheless seemed to have understood the world and its workings at a fundamental level. Or, maybe, Mumbai does offer exposure to the whole world!