India is working to safeguard cultural identity, ensure return of Baby Ariha from Germany: MEA

New Delhi [India], December 29 : India remains in constant engagement with Berlin with authorities in Berlin to protect the cultural, national identity, and rights of baby Ariha Shah, currently under German foster care, while ensuring its commitment to facilitating her return to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that consular access had been granted to meet Ariha, during which cultural items were shared to enhance her cultural immersion and safeguard her rights.

Addressing the weekly briefing, Bagchi said, "This is an important issue. We continue to monitor it. I don't have an immediate update this week...We had consular access. We were able to share with the child, items to ensure the immersion of the child in Indian culture as well as continued efforts to ensure that her rights are protected"

"Consular visit was such a unifying factor, embassy officials celebrated Diwali with the child...the parents were allowed visitation," he added.

MEA spokesperson further said that it is working towards cultural immersion of the child, under which resource materials relating to Indian customs and practices were handed over to the German authorities.

"We have been working towards cultural immersion of the child and resource materials relating to Indian festivals, customs and practices were handed over to the German authorities. We remain in constant engagement with the German authorities to safeguard the child's cultural, national identity and rights and to ensure her return to India," Bagchi said.

The child, Ariha Shah, was accidentally hurt by her grandmother in September 2021 following which the German authorities took the baby away. She is currently under German foster care.

Since Baby Ariha's family urged the authorities to look into their matter, the Indian Government has consistently raised the issue with the German authorities.

Earlier in September, MEA had informed that consular access was granted to Baby Ariha by the German authorities.

In August, Dhara Shah, mother of Ariha Shah, held a demonstration on Friday at Jantar Mantar demanding that German authorities allow Ariha to celebrate Independence Day with the Indian Community in Germany in order to protect her cultural rights.

Earlier, in this regard, the MEA had said that the Indian government has urged German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national.

"India has a robust child welfare and protection system, and there are potential foster parents in India who are willing to bring up the child in her own socio-cultural milieu. The German authorities have been made aware of India's child protection system and the details of potential foster parents have also been shared with them. Ariha's continued placement in German foster care and infringement of her social, cultural and linguistic rights is of deep concern to the Government of India and the parents," Bagchi earlier said.

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