Ariha baby case from Germany has become the talk of the town after the trailer release of Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, as both have similarities with boycott Germany now trending
After the trailer for the movie “Mrs. Chatterjee Vs. Norway,” in which Rani Mukherjee challenges the Norwegian government after the country’s Child Welfare Services forcibly removed her children, was released, Twitter erupted, and the hashtag “#BoycottGermany” started trending in support of another Indian parent whose infant was seized by the German Child Protective Services.
What is the Ariha Shah baby case, who are her parents and why is Boycott Germany trending on Twitter ahead of the release of Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway
छोटी अहिरा को वापस करे जर्मन सरकार! ऐसा नव-औपनिवेशिक, नस्लवादी रवैया 21वीं सदी में स्वीकार्य नहीं है #ReturnAhira #BoycottGermany pic.twitter.com/6ubE2nWk9x
— HinduPost (@hindupost) February 24, 2023
🔸 Germany has abducted #Ariha Shah and is refusing to release her to her Indian parents
Ariha is 18 months old
She was wrongfully diagnosed as a victim of abuse at the age of 7 months #SaveAriha
#BoycottGermany #BoycottGermanynow pic.twitter.com/lRI2aJ9zNC— Kreately.in (@KreatelyMedia) February 24, 2023
For those who are unfamiliar, Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway is a genuine account of a Bengali couple who resided in Norway. However, their lives were turned upside down when Norway’s child protective authorities took their two children away from them on the grounds that they were unfit parents.
Due to this, Ariha’s case and the apparent denial of her return to her original Indian parents by Germany have now become the talk of the town. Because of this, the hashtag #BoyCottGermany has been trending on Twitter, and citizens are criticizing the German government for their perceived unfairness.
So, here’s what we know about this case:
More about Ariha’s case
The case of Ariha began when German child protection authorities allegedly took the 1.5-year-old daughter of Ahmedabad-based parents Bhavesh and Dhara Shah on allegations that the parents had sexually harassed their kid.
However, Ariha’s parents said her grandmother accidentally harmed her in September 2021. The couple said that after they brought the infant to a hospital, the German authorities accused them of sexually abusing the kid and removed the youngster from their custody.
The couple said that although the criminal inquiry ended in February 2022 without any charges being filed, they still had not received their daughter. Berlin Child Services initiated a civil custody action to revoke the parents’ parental rights, further complicating matters for them.
Due to this, Ariha has been residing with a foster family for the last 10 months. Both of her parents, as well as Ariha, are Indian nationals, and her father had been employed as a software developer in a European country on a work visa.
What are Ariha’s parents alleging?
Her parents are now fighting the case in Germany, but they are concerned that Child Services will drag it out to benefit from the “continuity principle” of child law, which states that if a child has lived with the state-appointed caregiver for a significant period of time, they are considered to have established a relationship with them and that the child should not be returned to them, even if they are found to be fit.
Interestingly, India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, also commented on Ariha’s situation in December 2022. He expressed his deep concern over the linguistic, religious, cultural, and social environment around her in foster care.