NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) John Brittas has written to Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar seeking urgent diplomatic intervention to secure the repatriation of baby Ariha Shah, an Indian citizen who has remained in foster care in Germany for over four and a half years.
In his letter, Brittas highlighted that Ariha continues to remain under the custody of German Child Services even after the German hospital concerned has categorically ruled out any evidence of abuse and a court-appointed psychologist has recommended restoration of parental custody.
He also noted that Ariha is a passport-holding Indian citizen whose rights to family life, cultural identity, language and religion - guaranteed under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - are being violated.
His letter to the external affairs minister comes ahead of the scheduled visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s two-day visit to India on January 12-13. German authorities took custody of Ariha Shah on September 23, 2021, when she was seven months old, following allegations of physical abuse of the minor.
Brittas further expressed serious concern over reports that the child is being deprived of contact with her extended family in India and denied participation in Indian cultural practices.
Drawing attention to the child’s emotional vulnerability, the CPM MP also noted that Ariha’s foster placement has been changed five times, depriving her of any stable caregiving environment.
“At present, the only consistent emotional support in her life consists of bi-monthly parental visits - a fragile arrangement that now faces uncertainty due to the parents’ visa limitations in Germany. This matter has also been raised by several Members of Parliament, reflecting broad national concern over the humanitarian dimensions of the case,” he said.
Brittas urged that the matter be taken up decisively during the bilateral engagement to ensure a humane and lawful outcome in the best interests of the child.