'Why Can’t You Take Me Home?': Baby Ariha’s Cry Echoes As India Pushes For Repatriation From Germany

New Delhi: The heart-rending cries of a little girl who has not slept in her parents arms for over four years has now become the focus of sustained diplomatic engagement between India and Germany. Baby Ariha Shah, now five, has been under German foster care since September 2021, a situation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during high-level talks.

Baby Ariha was just seven months old when she was separated from her parents and placed in foster care following allegations related to injuries. However, investigations, including by German prosecutors cleared Ariha’s parents of all allegations, acknowledging that the claims were unfounded. Despite this, the child continues to remain in foster care in Germany - now for over 4.5 years.

Henil Visariya, an activist closely involved in the case, expressed gratitude after the Prime Minister took up the matter at the highest diplomatic level. “We are thankful and hopeful that this issue will finally be resolved. Ariha was an infant when she was taken away, and the allegations against her parents were proven wrong by the German court itself”, he added.

Ariha’s aunt, Kinjal Shah, spoke about the toll the prolonged separation has taken on the family. “Our baby has been stuck in Germany for the last four and a half years. She has not been taught any language other than German. To even communicate with her, my sister had to learn German”, she said.

Invoking the United Nations Charter on Child Rights, Shah stressed that it is a child’s fundamental right to grow up in an environment that reflects her own language, culture and religion. “We request Prime Minister Modi and the German Chancellor to look at this case purely on humanitarian grounds”, she appealed.

The limited access granted to Ariha’s parents has only deepened the pain. They are allowed to meet their daughter for just one hour every 15 days. “She is extremely happy when she sees them”, Shah said. “But when they leave, Ariha asks them why they are not taking her home. You can imagine the helplessness of the parents in that moment”.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday stressed that New Delhi has maintained “sustained communication” with German authorities in both countries and believes the issue should be viewed through a humanitarian lens rather than purely as a legal matter.

“We understand the family’s distress and difficulties”, Misri said, highlighting New Delhi’s efforts to ensure that Ariha stays connected to Indian culture, language and festivals even while in Germany, including exploring arrangements for her to learn Hindi.

The “Save Ariha” campaign, supported by activists and members of the Indian diaspora, has renewed appeals for a humanitarian solution, urging both governments to engage in dialogue to reunite the girl with her family.

As diplomatic efforts continue, Ariha’s family clings to hope, that the little girl will soon return to her roots, her home, and the embrace of her parents.

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