Domaki is a language spoken by the scattered tribe of Doma in the area now named Gilgat- Baltistan. It is mainly spoken in Berikushal, Nagar Mominabad, Hunza, Domial and Punial subdivisions of Gilgat. Domaki is one of the fast vanishing languages of the world and is included in the UNESCO list of world's endangered languages. The speakers of Domaki are, historically, known in their regions to be musicians and blacksmiths. They beat drums and play flutes during the polo matches. Some of them are still associated with these ancient arts although most have dispersed into other vocations. In the past, the local Mirs and Rajas of the region treated the Doma community as a lower caste community relegated to these professions but after change in political structure in 1974 and devolvement of the state system in Gilgat-Baltistan, the lot of the Doma community has changed somewhat. To change their lower caste status, the Domaki speakers have in the past tried to assimilate with the adjacent communities of Brushasky-speaking Brushos and Shina speaking Shins and Yashkuns. However, its speakers are declining in numbers day by day to a point where their younger generation has now literally stopped speaking their language. Today only about a few hundred inhabitants speak Domaki in the whole region. No step has been taken so far by either government or any non-government organization to promote and preserve the fading Domaki language. No program of Domaki is broadcast on Radio Pakistan Gilgat while the other regional languages of Shina, Brushaski and Wakhi have a one-hour programme each on a daily basis. To preserve the Domaki heritage, the government should take steps by starting Domaki language programs on Radio Pakistan Gilgat. The Karakoram International University Gilgat can also play a key role by including this language as a subject of research and study in their newly proposed department of languages and culture of Gilgat-Baltistan. -SYED MUJAHID ALI SHAH, Germany, October 30.