The Ministry of External Affairs is trying to ensure the early return of Ariha, a three-and-a-half-year-old girl from Thane district of Maharashtra, who has been in foster care in Germany for the last 36 months after her parents were accused of abuse. Local MP Naresh Mhaske gave this information. Mhaske said in a release on Thursday that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has assured him that the government is expediting the legal processes to ensure Ariha’s return. He said that Ariha’s parents, who are currently in Germany, can now meet their daughter twice a month.
Ariha’s parents Bhavesh and Dhara Shah are residents of Mira Bhayander area of Thane district. Earlier in the month, Thane MP Mhaske raised the matter in Parliament, after which the Foreign Minister wrote a letter to him informing him about the efforts being made through his ministry. Jaishankar said in the letter sent on August 16 that it is a result of ‘our’ intervention that the German youth welfare authorities decided not to appeal against the court orders allowing the parents to meet.
“The matter has been taken up with Germany at every level, including in my personal interaction with my German counterpart, wherein I emphasised that Ariha’s long-term welfare can only be ensured if she grows up in her own socio-cultural environment in India,” the External Affairs Minister wrote.
According to the letter, officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy in Berlin are trying to ensure that the child is exposed to elements of the cultural environment of her original upbringing through resources on Indian culture as well as Jainism, Indian festivals and cultural and religious traditions. The letter said that these resources can be used appropriately by the caregivers.
Jaishankar said in the letter that embassy officials took Ariha to Indian temples twice and efforts are being made to make an arrangement under which the girl can be taught Gujarati / Hindi. He said, “As per the court orders, the parents have been given the right to meet the girl twice a month (the time of which has also been extended by the courts). Apart from this, the German side is also providing regular diplomatic access to the girl to our embassy officials.” Jaishankar assured Mhaske that the government will continue to make every effort to bring Ariha to India.