Germany prepared to discuss Ariha case, search for solution to child’s future: envoy

Ahead of the German Chancellor’s visit, the spotlight is on the three-year-old in German foster care, and arrangements being made for her “cultural upbringing” and training in an Indian language

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be prepared to discuss the issue of three-year-old Ariha Shah, an Indian child taken into foster care by German authorities when he visits India this week, German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann said on Wednesday. He added that the government in Berlin “continues to work to find a satisfactory solution for the future of the child”.

Ahead of the German Chancellor’s visit, Ariha’s parents and members of the Jain community they belong to are urging the Ministry of External Affairs to push for a solution that would see the child return to India, or at least be raised according to their culture.

Ariha was removed from her parents’ custody by German authorities in 2021, over allegations that she had been physically abused and sustained grievous injuries while in their care. Although her father Bhavesh Shah, a Gujarati engineer working in Germany, and her mother Dhara Shah, a housewife, and Ariha herself are all Indian citizens, a German court decreed that she would live in foster care in Germany until she turns 18.

Language training

In response to a question from The Hindu during a briefing on Mr. Scholz’s visit, slated to take place from October 24 to 26, Mr. Ackermann said that, through close contact between the MEA, the German Embassy, and the Youth Authorities in Berlin, they had been able to procure an “in-principle” agreement that Ariha would receive training in an Indian language and some exposure to Indian culture as she grows up with a foster parent in a home outside of Berlin.

“What we have achieved in the last couple of months is: this language training in-principle is there, an exposure to [Indian] culture is there, and exposure to festivals is there,” Mr. Ackermann said, referring to Ariha’s participation in the Paryushan celebrations of the Jain community, and her interactions with a priest who flew from Mumbai to teach her some rituals. The Shahs are also allowed to meet their daughter once or twice a month, although their interactions are restricted and monitored by German authorities. 

Accompanied by at least eight senior Ministers, Mr. Scholz will arrive in Delhi late on Thursday night and will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning. Both leaders will address the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business 2024 (APK 2024), which will be attended by about 800 CEOs of various companies.

India and Germany will also hold talks as part of their bi-annual Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) followed by agreements on a number of issues. Topics include skilling and employment, strategic and military exchanges, and science and technology cooperation, including collaborations between the Indian Space Research Organisation and the German Space Agency.

Child welfare

When asked, Mr. Ackermann said that there is a “clear possibility” that India will also raise Ariha’s case during these talks, making it clear that the Germans are “prepared to answer any queries”.

In a letter to Thane MP Naresh Mhaske in August, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had said that the MEA had consistently followed up on Ariha’s case, and claimed credit for an intervention that ensured that the Jungendamt, Germany’s child welfare authority, decided not to appeal a Berlin court’s decision to grant visitations for the parents. He added that Ariha had been allowed to visit a temple twice, with Indian diplomats, and said that the Indian Embassy in Berlin was looking for an appropriate teacher for her to teach her Gujarati or Hindi.

“The matter has been raised with the German side at all levels, including personally by myself with my German counterpart where I emphasised that the long-term welfare of Ariha can only be ensured when she is brought up in her own socio-cultural environment in India,” wrote Mr. Jaishankar, who travelled to Berlin in September. Although the MEA made no statement on the Ariha matter during his visit, it was raised publicly during a visit to Delhi by German Foreign Minister Analena Baerbock last year.

Published - October 23, 2024 10:30 pm IST