New Delhi: The mother of two-year-old Ariha Shah, who is a child of Indian heritage living in foster care in Berlin amidst an ongoing custody battle, staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Friday asking authorities to allow the girl to celebrate the Indian Independence Day with the Indian community in Germany. "Ariha's cultural rights need to be preserved... Want Ariha to celebrate August 15," Dhara Shah says. WATCH VIDEO
All you need to know about the Ariha Shah issue
Ariha was placed in foster care in September 2021 over allegations of parental abuse when she was accidentally hurt by her grandmother, following which German authorities took the little girl away from her family for better care.
Now, the parents are seeking the help of the Indian government to reunite with the baby and bring her back to India. Recently, the German ambassador to India was summoned and the concerns were clearly conveyed to him with respect to the minor's early return of the child to India.
Earlier on August 11, mother Dhara expressed that she wants daughter Ariha to be allowed to observe the Indian Independence Day there so that her cultural rights are preserved and respected.
India govt's efforts to bring the girl back
The Indian government is making efforts to assist the Shah family in bringing Ariha back to the country.
The Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy of India in Berlin have reportedly been persistently advocating for the return of Ariha Shah to India. Last December, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed to his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock India's concerns over the baby girl. "We have accorded high priority to this case," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a media statement.
