S Jaishankar said the government is speeding up legal proceedings to ensure the girl's return.
New Delhi:
The Ministry of External Affairs is making efforts to push for the early return of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl from Thane district, who has been in a foster home in Germany for the past 36 months after being accused of minor physical abuse, local MP Naresh Mhaske said.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has assured him that the government is speeding up legal processes to secure the return of the girl, Ariha. Her parents, who are currently in Germany, are now able to see their daughter twice a month, Mhaske said in a statement on Thursday.
Ariha's parents, Bhavesh and Dhara Shah, are residents of Mira Bhayander in Thane district.
After the Thane MP raised the issue in Parliament earlier this month, the External Affairs Minister wrote to him detailing the efforts being made through his ministry.
It was as a result of “our” intervention that the German youth welfare authorities decided not to appeal the court orders granting visitation rights to the parents, Mr Jaishankar said in his letter dated August 16.
“The matter has been raised with the German side at all levels, including personally by me with my German counterpart, where I stressed that Ariha's long-term well-being can only be ensured when she is brought up in her own socio-cultural environment in India,” Mr Jaishankar wrote.
Officials at the Foreign Ministry and the embassy in Berlin are seeking to ensure that the girl is exposed to Indian culture and familiar with elements of the cultural environment of her original upbringing by sharing resources on Jainism, Indian festivals, and cultural and religious traditions, with a request that the adoptive parent be able to use these resources appropriately, the letter said.
Embassy officials have taken Ariha to Indian temples twice and efforts are being made to reach an agreement under which she can be taught Gujarati/Hindi, he wrote.
“In accordance with court orders, the parents have been granted visitation rights twice a month with the child (the time has also been recently increased by the courts). In addition, the German side has also been granting regular consular access to our Embassy officials to visit the child,” the Foreign Minister said.
He has assured Mhaske that the government will continue to make all possible efforts to bring the boy to India.
“It is important to note that this case centres on an underage girl and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is carrying out all the above diplomatic efforts in a consistent and continuous manner. I also hope that you will take into account the sensitivity surrounding this case and handle the matter with due discretion,” the letter added.
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