New Delhi, Oct 23 Ariha Shah, an Indian girl child in foster care in Germany, has started speaking some Hindi words, and her parents are visiting her regularly, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday, asserting that India remains committed to her welfare.
“This is an issue to which we are attaching considerable importance. Our embassy in Berlin has been in regular contact with Ariha, and as part of our consular visits, they have been regularly visiting the baby,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his bi-weekly media briefing when asked about Ariha.
Jaiswal also said that India has been in touch with the German authorities on the matter.
“As I told you before, we have organised Hindi classes for her cultural immersion, along with temple visits and several other cultural exposures. She has started to speak some Hindi words. Her parents are also visiting her regularly, last on October 13. We remain committed to the welfare of the child,” Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal was also asked whether the matter was taken up during Union minister Piyush Goyal’s meetings with German leaders. Goyal is currently visiting Germany.
“As for the visit of our commerce minister, who is presently in Berlin, I don’t have a readout of his conversations there, but we will have one soon. We’ll share them with you as soon as we can,” Jaiswal said.
During then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s India visit in October 2024, Ariha’s case was raised at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Scholz, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had told reporters then.
Misri also said that the German chancellor assured the prime minister that he was “very closely following” the issue.
Born in 2021, Ariha was placed in foster care in September that year after she suffered an accidental injury, with allegations of minor physical abuse.
Her parents, Bhavesh and Dhara Shah, are from Mira Bhayander in Maharashtra’s Thane district.
“We have at all levels impressed upon the German side that an Indian child growing up in an environment that is not hers – cultural, religious, linguistic environment – is somewhat unnatural and that this situation needs to be addressed,” Misri had said.
(PTI News)
