This essay revisits the events surrounding one of the most emblematic instances of colonial violence, namely the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, through the diary of an Englishwoman, Mrs. Melicent Wathen. Where most histories of the Amritsar Massacre emphasize British brutality and Indian suffering, Melicent’s experience was instead characterized by fear and the uncertainty of what became a headlong flight from Empire. Her diary thus offers an intimate account of colonial crisis. If we are to engage comprehensively with the lived experience of empire, the forms and functions of colonial fears and anxieties must be acknowledged; not because colonial panics were caused by real threats, which often they were not, but because they played such a crucial role in shaping colonial policies and in framing the relationship between rulers and ruled.

Beetal is one of the largest Indian breeds of goats bred mainly for milk but equally important for meat as well. This breed is found in Punjab along the Indo-Pakistani border. The status of the Beetal breed in its native tract was studied through a detailed survey in the Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts of Punjab. In this part of the country goats are mainly reared by ‘Sansi’ tribals who are landless. Goat flocks are mainly stationery and browsing is the main source of feed and fodder for these goats. Long drooping ears and roman nose are the typical characteristics of this breed. The total population of this breed in its native tract in 1997 was found to be 20 772 and the average flock size was 5.27. Average test day milk yield and lactation length were 1.8±0.79 kg and 161 days, respectively. Average ages at first kidding and kidding interval were 17.2 and 11.14 months, respectively. Prolificacy was fairly high with an average of 1.76 kids per kidding.

Beetal goats are the mainstay for the landless poor families of this region and the breed needs to be conserved in its breeding tract. There is a need to popularize this breed through demonstration units to convince the farmers that this breed is sustainable under low input conditions. This will help in in-situ conservation of the Beetal breed.