India Pursuing Baby Ariha Shah Case With Germany on Humanitarian Grounds: Foreign Secy Vikram Misri

Gandhinagar, Gujarat: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday highlighted India's continuing engagement with German authorities on the case of Ariha Shah, an Indian girl child who has been in German foster care for 40 months, stressing that New Delhi is approaching the matter with a humanitarian focus while extending support to the family.

During a media briefing, Misri noted that India has been in sustained communication with German authorities both in India and in Germany. 

"We have been in discussions with the German government, all the German authorities, their embassy here in Delhi, and the German government in Berlin, and all the agencies involved, for quite some time," he said.

He noted that while the case had previously been treated as a legal matter, India believes it should ultimately be viewed through a humanitarian lens. 

"This case was, at one point, a legal matter, but we believe that ultimately, it should be approached keeping in mind the humanitarian issues involved," he said.

Emphasising India's awareness of the family's distress, Misri said, "We understand the family's distress and difficulties. We are fully aware of the situation, and we are trying our best to help them in every way possible."

At the same time, he underlined ongoing efforts to ensure that Ariha remains connected to Indian cultural surroundings while in Germany.

"We are also trying to ensure that Baby Ariha is raised as much as possible in an Indian environment, whether it's interacting with Indian people or participating in Indian festivals being celebrated in Germany," he said.

Misri added that steps are also being explored to enable Ariha to connect with the language and cultural learning. 

"We would like to make arrangements for him to participate and learn Hindi," he said.

Noting that the issue has also been raised at the highest level, Misri said, "Prime Minister Modi also mentioned this to the Chancellor, so we will continue to follow up with the German government on this issue, and we will stay with the family at every step."

Misri's remarks came as the family of Ariha Shah renewed its appeal to the Indian and German governments to engage in a "dialogue to preserve the rights of young girl," saying that all allegations against her parents have been cleared by German authorities.

Ariha Shah was placed under German foster care custody in September 2021, when she was seven months old, after her grandmother accidentally hurt her, and she has remained in foster care in Germany since then.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Save Ariha Team expressed deep concern over the continued separation of Baby Ariha Shah, urging the Government of India to intervene diplomatically for her immediate repatriation ahead of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to India.

In a press release, the group said Ariha has remained under the custody of German Child Services (Jugendamt) in Berlin despite the closure of all police cases against her parents in February 2022. It added that Ariha has been moved across five different foster homes, according to the release.

These appeals follow comments last week from the Ministry of External Affairs, which said there had been progress in the matter concerning Ariha Shah and that it is taking several other steps to ensure that her upbringing occurs in a cultural environment conducive to her.

During the weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randeep Jaiswal said the matter was raised when the German Foreign Minister was in the country.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is on a two-day official visit to India from January 12 to 13 to further deepen bilateral relations. The visit aligns with the 75th anniversary of India-Germany diplomatic ties and the 25th anniversary of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership.

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