When British ruled the subcontinent, people of this land had clean drinking water rather than the raw sewage they drink now in most places. They got pure milk from milkman and not the brew of chemical additives that kills tens of thousands, if not millions, in this part of the world every year now. The phrase 'adulterated food was not even known in British Raj and there was peace, law and order throughout the land. One would travel in safety from Peshawar to Calcutta without being threatened, molested, beaten or killed and no one had the temerity to carry anything more lethal than a pen-knife. The patwari did his job without extracting bribes from the poor and the thanedar did his job without arresting, jailing or killing the innocents and none of these officials could imagine having wealth of the unimaginable proportions they have now. The sarkari babu did his job as mandated without a bribe lining his pockets. Litigation was at minimum and the courts decided cases quicklyas quickly as possibleand certainly earlier than three generations it takes now to get a court judgment. Bribes in the judicial system were unheard of. Fake degrees, fake doctors, fake teachers etc were no where to be found in this land. This is the 'independence we all cherish so much? We have certainly lost most of it, if not all. -DR IRFAN ZAFAR, Islamabad, August 18.