NEW DELHI: Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday that India has stepped up its engagement at the “highlest level” with German authorities over the case of Ariha Shah, an Indian child who has remained in foster care in Germany for over 40 months. The government is stressing that the matter should be addressed through a humanitarian lens. Addressing a media briefing, Misri said New Delhi has been in continuous discussions with German authorities in both India and Germany. “We have been in discussions with the German government, all the German authorities, their embassy here in Delhi, and the German government in Berlin, and all the agencies involved, for quite some time,” he said, reported ANI.While acknowledging that the issue had earlier been treated as a legal matter, Misri said India believes it must now be approached keeping humanitarian concerns at the centre. “This case was, at one point, a legal matter, but we believe that ultimately, it should be approached keeping in mind the humanitarian issues involved,” he said. Foreign secretary also pointed towards the government’s awareness of the family’s situation, adding, “We understand the family’s distress and difficulties. We are fully aware of the situation, and we are trying our best to help them in every way possible.”He also went on to say efforts are underway to ensure that Ariha remains connected to Indian cultural and social surroundings while in Germany. “We are also trying to ensure that Baby Ariha is raised as much as possible in an Indian environment, whether it’s interacting with Indian people or participating in Indian festivals being celebrated in Germany,” Misri said. He added that steps were being explored to help the child learn the language, saying, “We would like to make arrangements for him to participate and learn Hindi.”The foreign secretary said the issue has been raised at the highest political level. “Prime Minister Modi also mentioned this to the Chancellor, so we will continue to follow up with the German government on this issue, and we will stay with the family at every step,” he said.Misri’s remarks came as Ariha Shah’s family renewed its appeal to both governments, calling for dialogue to “preserve the rights of the young girl” and stating that all allegations against the parents had been cleared by German authorities.Ariha was placed in German foster care in September 2021, when she was seven months old, following an incident in which her grandmother accidentally injured her. She has remained under foster care since then.On Saturday, the Save Ariha Team expressed concern over the continued separation of the child from her family, urging the Indian government to intervene diplomatically for her repatriation ahead of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to India. In a press release, the group said Ariha remains under the custody of German child services (Jugendamt) despite police cases against her parents being closed in February 2022, and that she has been moved across five foster homes. Earlier the ministry of external affairs had said there has been progress in the matter and that steps are being taken to ensure Ariha’s upbringing in a culturally conducive environment. MEA spokesperson Randeep Jaiswal said the issue was raised during the German foreign minister’s recent visit to India. Chancellor Merz is on a two-day official visit to India from January 12 to 13, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of India-Germany diplomatic ties and 25 years of their strategic partnership.
