Clamour to bring back Baby Ariha grows, Jain body seeks PM's intervention

A week after a local German court denied custody of two-year-old Ariha Shah to her Indian parents, the Gujarati Samaj Jain community has sought the Indian Prime Minister's intervention to resolve the issue. Speaking to Republic, Gujarati Jain community head, Yatin Shah said, "We are trying to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request him for intervention. Only five mins of PM Modi's time can help us get our child back from the German childcare services." 

The Gujarati Samaj Jain community's request for the PM's intervention came the same day German authorities denied permission to Ariha's father for visitation in Germany citing unavailability of caretaker. Ariha's father traveled to Germany from Delhi to meet his daughter as per a judicial order which allowed visitation of parents twice a month.

Shah told the media in Delhi that German foster care is trying to separate two-year-old Ariha Shah from her cultural and ethnic community. Meanwhile, the Jain community in Berlin has demanded restoration of religious and ethnic rights of the child. In another letter, the Jain Association International sent a request to German foster care to send Ariha to a family that practices vegetarianism.  

Dhara Shah, two-year-old Ariha's mother, speaking to the media in Delhi, said, "We are going to challenge the local German court order in the higher court and appeal against the verdict over the custody and visitation for our child." She appealed to PM Modi to find a way to bring her daughter back who was separated from her when she was seven months old. 

Jain groups organised a massive demonstration in Mumbai with banners and posters saying 'Save Baby Ariha'.