It's rather normal that an individual is felicitated upon retirement at a company. Colleagues share stories, get nostalgic, share a few laughs, and present a memento to the person for their years of service. Quite the farewell for a long journey. In a heartwarming incident, something similar happened at the Vellore Post Office earlier this month; albeit with the department officials bidding adieu to their colleague - Maruti Gypsy - that served the office for 22 years.
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The Gypsy was used as an inspection vehicle of the superintendent of post offices, for over two decades. At the farewell ceremony, the department garlanded the vehicle, while also distributing sweets to everyone. The employees then saluted and took pictures with the car. While this has never been the custom at government offices in Vellore, or otherwise, the officials made an exception for this vehicle.
The Maruti Gypsy was a staple addition to the government departments right from the armed forces to the post office back in the day
The Maruti Gypsy was purchased by the department on March 24, 1999, and has been used by 25 superintendents. It was mainly used to visit post offices in hill areas including the Jawadhu hills in the district. The officials also stated that the vehicle has not met with an accident to date during its lifetime. The Gypsy will now be handed over to the Mail Motor Service as per department rules and will be disposed of as per government norms. Meanwhile, another off-roader has replaced the Gypsy at the Vellore Post Office.
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The Maruti Gypsy was launched in India in 1985 and carries a cult following in the country. Apart from private sales, the Gypsy was a staple addition in government departments including the police and armed forces, among others. The simple construction, go-anywhere capability and impressive reliability made it a defacto choice at the time.
The Suzuki Jimny is likely to make its way to India in the five-door version sometime in the future
While the older generation Gypsy may not be in series production any longer (it's still built for the armed forces), Maruti Suzuki is likely to bring the new-generation Jimny to carry forward that legacy. The model has been hotly-anticipated in India and is likely to arrive in the five-door avatar. There's no word on the launch yet.
Source: The Hindu
