‘Vinay’ and ‘Thane’ – their interrelation – goes back more than four decades. Because this relationship is very special, let us go back to where it all started. If you’re a quintessential Thanekar, you will find places where the story of Vinay with Thane matches with yours as we explore what Thane means to Vinay. The year was 1979 when Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe shifted to Thane, which was nothing more than an ancillary suburb to the giant-metropolis called Mumbai. As a ABVP Karyakarta, while he was actively engaged in Ruia College, something about Thane struck Vinay and it continues to circle back in his thoughts, even today! This is about the distinct yet assimilated ‘Marathi Asmita’ of Thane – of being a Thanekar who is cosmopolitan yet rooted in his/her own Marathi identity – more so than the regions around it. His maternal uncles were the first ones to settle down in Thane and Vinay, as a student, followed suit

From here, there was no turning back – Thane became Vinay’s karmabhoomi. In these years, Vinay has seen Thane transform from being considered as an outgrown suburb of Mumbai to re-asserting its separate identity – city and beyond. When he received his first job offer from Corres India in the early 1980s, he noticed peculiarities of Thane – like many other suburbs of Mumbai. These were the realities of migration and a disconnection of people with the ethos of Thane. Thane is huge – 140 kilometres from the north to south and more than 100 kilometres east to west with a 113 kilometre coastline – and yet it is bound together from the corners of Uttan to Ghatghar and from Shahapur to Navi Mumbai.

Vinay has seen and experienced himself as to how Thane became a place where people come to sleep for the night after their work day in Mumbai or elsewhere. This effect has been worsened by migration but migration itself is not the problem. Vinay believes that unique identities must be nurtured but a Thanekar must ultimately feel a sense of belonging towards his city Thane.

As Vinay notes often, Thane has its own independent history stretching from the Ashokan edicts – almost 2400 years old – to the Portuguese and Maratha eras and to the modern British era where the freedom fighter Anant Kanhere was hanged in Thane Jail. Apart from the contemporary identity of Thane, its rich history should be a source of pride and belonging for the many communities – from Koli and Musalman to Maratha and migrants from North India – who reside in Thane. Vinay has always been an exponent of how a resident of Thane must mean someone who belongs to Thane rather than someone who resides for the night.

As Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe says “the unconventional cultural milieu combined with the Marathi Asmita of Thane is what makes a Thanekar, a Thanekar”

Vinay’s stints in journalism and at Camlin India were also as a resident of Thane. Ultimately, Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in Thane became his workplace from 1986 onwards and this journey continues till day. From his home is Louis Wadi to Uttan, his daily journey has been one which literally traverses through Thane. He has also served on the Senate of the Mumbai University for a long time and of his key initiatives has been the Thane sub-campus of Mumbai University which started operations a decade back. This sub-campus has served as a key interface between the aspirations of Thane youth and the quality education and the legacy that Mumbai University offers. Similarly, on the floor of the prestigious Asiatic Society, Vinay has been a persistent advocate for the interests of Thane and Thanekars.

Whether it be the conference to deliberate on the traffic woes of Thane in 1998 and the Thane Sahitya Sammelan in 2004 to the adoption of Vihigaon as MP and conservation of art and culture through the Gadkari Rangayatan, Vinay has been at the forefront of the advocacy of the core issues that make up the Thane identity. As a Rajya Sabha MP, he has spent his time and MPLADS funds on the ground in Thane for its residents including a very unique Divyang Park. Being a Thanekar is something that comes naturally to Vinay – on an odd day (or evening), don’t be surprised if you find him relishing the Missal at Mamledar Misal Kopineshwar or having a bite at the Kaath N Ghat in Dandekar Colony. When the Sahasrabuddhes celebrate, Prashant Corner in Panchpakhadi is the place for sweets while family dinners happen at Utsav or somewhere around Talao Pali. Talao Pali is also where you might find Vinay and Nayana taking the rare evening walk together when their busy schedules permit. Vinay – a theatre enthusiast – also shares a deep bond with the Gadkari Rangayatan like most Thanekars but of late, Cinewonder on Ghodbunder Road has become the go-to movie spot. Vinay and his family say that they cannot imagine a home other than Thane and are as proud of being Thanekars as every other Thanekar!