In the letter to Ambassador Philipp Ackerman Friday, the MPs – each from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha – have mentioned that it was important to carry Ariha again to India, “her own country, people, culture and environment” and argued that “any delay will cause irreparable harm to the baby”. On Friday, the federal government too formally requested Germany to let Ariha return to India saying it was her inalienable proper as an Indian nationwide.

Among the signatories of the letter are Congress chief in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, his get together colleague Shashi Tharoor, BJP’s Hema Malini and Maneka Gandhi, DMK’s Kanimozhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule, TMC’s Mahua Moitra, SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav, RJD’s Manoj Jha, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, CPM’s Elamaran Kareem and John Brittas, Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal, BSP’s Kunwar Danish Ali, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, CPI’s Binoy Viswam and National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah.

Ariha’s mother and father, a Gujarati couple who had moved to Germany in 2018, had been preventing for custody of the child lady for the final 21 months. Ariha has been in foster care since September 23, 2021, when German authorities took over her custody after she suffered an unintended harm. She was simply seven months outdated then. The German authorities alleged Ariha’s mother and father – Dhara and Bhavesh Shah – had harassed her.

“We, Members from both Houses of India’s Parliament, belonging to 19 political parties across the political spectrum are writing this joint letter to you with an urgent request regarding the repatriation to India of Ariha Shah, a two year old baby girl, a citizen of India as are her parents Dhara and Bhavesh Shah. The family were in Berlin as the baby’s father was employed in a company there. The family should have been back in India by now but for some tragic events,” the MPs mentioned.

“We do not cast aspersions on any agency in your country and assume that whatever was done was thought to be in the best interests of the baby. We respect the legal procedures in your country, but given that there are no criminal cases pending against any member of the said family, it is more than time to send the baby back home,” they mentioned.

The MPs identified that in February 2022, the police case was closed with none prices in opposition to the mother and father. Despite this, they mentioned, the child was not returned to her mother and father and the German Child Services pressed for everlasting custody of the kid within the German courts.

“The case has taken over a year-and-a-half for an evaluation of the parents by a court-appointed psychologist This was completed in December 2022. The court-appointed psychologist recommended that the child should be placed with either parent in a parent-and-child facility, with the other parent regularly visiting her. Even though this would be impractical as it would mean a prolonged stay in Germany, it is a recognition that the baby could be with her parents, under supervision. But, before court orders, the Jugendamt (German Child Services) removed the baby to a special needs facility,” the MPs identified.

“Ariha is not a special needs child. Shifting her around from one carer to another will cause deep and damaging trauma to the child. The parents are allowed only fortnightly visits. The videos of these meetings are heart wrenching and they reveal the deep bonds the baby has with her parents and the pain of separation,” they mentioned.

On Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi – whereas urging German authorities to do all that’s essential to ship Ariha to India on the earliest – mentioned: “We are dismayed to learn that the child was abruptly shifted away from her current foster parent to a specialised foster care arrangement…..We would like to reiterate that Ariha Shah is an Indian national and her nationality and socio-cultural background is the most important determinant of where her foster care is to be provided.”

The MPs additionally identified that Ariha belongs to a household who’re strict vegetarians however she is being fed non-vegetarian meals in foster care.

“We have our own cultural norms. The baby belongs to a Jain family who are strict vegetarians. The baby is being brought up in an alien culture, being fed non-vegetarian food. Being here in India, you can better appreciate how unacceptable this is to us. India can well look after her own children. We request you to consider how your country would feel if a German baby was forcibly kept with Indian foster care,” the MPs mentioned.

Bagchi too had identified that it was essential for the kid to be in her “linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment”.

“We urge German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national. We remain committed to ensuring the return…to India,” Bagchi had mentioned.

The MPs informed the ambassador that the Indian authorities has formally requested the German authorities for the kid’s return to a Jain foster household in India beneath the supervision of the Indian little one welfare authorities.

“The foster family is willing to accommodate the parents in their home so as to carry out the court psychologist’s recommendation for the child to be with the parents under supervision. This is a fair way to resolve the issue, by respecting the German court appointed psychologists recommendation and implementing it under the supervision of Indian authorities, here in India. We are aware of the court proceedings. This solution may be offered to the court by the German authorities without delay,” they mentioned.

The MPs of the BRS, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kerala Congress (M), National People’s Party, and TDP are additionally signatories to the letter.

The letter is a uncommon occasion of ruling and opposition MPs becoming a member of palms for such a trigger placing apart their political variations. “It was heartwarming that across parties the MPs when contacted had no hesitation to support the effort of bringing Ariha home,” senior CPM chief Brinda Karat informed The Indian Express.