NEW DELHI: German Ambassador Dr Philipp Ackermann was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) this week over the fate of Baby Ariha who has been under forced German foster care since September 2021. The child was only seven months old when she was taken away from her parents.
“The cultural rights of the child who is in German foster care, and as an Indian, her rights have been infringed upon and we have always taken a strong view about this. Our concerns were conveyed to the German Ambassador, who was summoned this week. We will continue to press for the child’s return to India,’’ said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday.
The child has been away from her biological parents since she was seven months old (in September 2021). Her parents have continued to fight for her child’s custody and the Indian government has urged Germany to send the child back to India.
Meanwhile, the Jain community has been taking out protest marches in Germany and India, in support of the child to return to her parents. They had earlier threatened to boycott German goods. On Wednesday, Samajwadi MP Jaya Bachchan introduced the child’s mother, Dhara Shah, to a group of MPs. “I am presenting Dhara Shah in front of everyone. Her daughter Ariha Shan has been taken by the German government for over two years now and she is seeking help from parliamentarians,’’ said Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan, adding that the child was taken into foster care over cultural differences.
“A strong stand has been taken by the Germans and we will put in a request to the External Affairs Minister and the German Embassy as well. We request the Indian government to bring the child and keep her at a foster home in India. The necessary judgment should be made by the Indian government,’’ Jaya Bachchan added.
This is not the first time that MPs have come forward to extend support for the child. On June 3, 59 MPs from 19 political parties had written to the German Ambassador asking for the early repatriation of Ariha Shah. The MPs included Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini, Shashi Tharoor, Farooq Abdullah and Priyanka Chaturvedi.
Cultural rights
“The cultural rights of the child who is in German foster care, and as an Indian, her rights have been infringed upon and we have always taken a strong view about this. Our concerns were conveyed to the German Ambassador, who was summoned this week. We will continue to press for the child’s return to India,’’ said spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, on Thursday.