We have spent decades calling Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi the father of our nation. Well, fathers become old, become grandfathers and new fathers emerge to take care of the next generations. As for now the Father of our Nation, Bharat, is Shri Narendra Modi ji. And he is playing the role in the best way possible. A father is not someone who participates in the act to give birth to you, but someone who considers himself responsible for your upbringing, participates in shaping up your life, manages your daily requirements, enhances your existence in the outside world and defends you whenever required. Considering the current time, the man who is taking care of our nation and us is our Prime Minister Modi Ji. OUR BAPUJI
Dear Modi ji,
You have given your best towards building our nation. We see a lot of change in our systems, infrastructure and the quality of living compared to what we were living earlier in India. All those who migrated out of India for a better life are proud enough to proclaim now that their own country is offering much more than before. And in the coming time, most would like to return to their native land to live a life of dignity and ease. One of the biggest things that you have done for us is that you have put us on the world map as an important factor of the global fabric.
The world has started taking our country seriously. We are expecting a lot of investment, employment and betterment walking into our nation through the global doors. It is very difficult for parents to make every child happy, so we see many people always opposing you. But I am glad that you have never given up and stayed calm and composed to all, those who believe in you and those who don’t.
Let me introduce myself. I am Ariha Shah, a 2 years old Gujrati baby. I belong to a Jain family in Gujrat. As a young toddler, I am yet to see the world and looking forward to having a beautiful life in my own country with my people. But with the current situation in my life, I don’t think that is possible. As a baby, I was living in Germany with my parents, Bhavesh Shah and Dhara Shah. Many parents leave their country to earn more and provide the best for their children. That is what my parents did. They dismantled their life completely for my happy future. My dad was working as a software engineer in Germany. Before I could understand what life is, my life shattered at the age of 7 months.
All I remember is that I was taken away from my mom – dad and put in foster care. At the time when I needed my mother the most, I was made to live like an orphan in an unknown place with unknown people. I used to keep crying constantly. This ordeal continues since then. I have not learnt what home is to date. My parents are not allowed to meet me on many visitations for various invalid reasons.
They cannot take pictures of me. They cannot get food for me or bring any gifts for me. I am kept away from my roots. I was fed non-vegetarian food and nobody took permission from my parents. I am not taught anything about my culture, my religion or my family. Are they converting me? Are they planning to keep me away from my family and my country forever? Are they trying to change my identity to what I am not in reality? I am confused, scared and helpless.
I have a right to Jain living, Jain food and love from my parents. But I am kept away from all my needs. If I was in India, it would have been called a violation of my fundamental rights. How can my rights be taken away from me? Is it because my parents are simple middle-class people? Is it because they do not have money to settle or sort something here? Or is it because I don’t deserve a life of care, love and respect?
I am not just being mentally disturbed because of this uprooting from my family but I am deprived of stable family life. I am punished for none of my mistakes. Earlier at least I was at an institution where there was some normalcy, but now I am kept among special children. Who is responsible for the trauma that Im going through right now? I am worried I will be made a mentally unstable human and sent to an asylum if I am not helped now.
My passport is taken away from my parents. They are denied visitations and I am forced to live a depressing life with kids who need special care. Despite no formal charges ever being filed against my parents and the court-appointed psychologist recommending parental supervision of some form, my parents have been denied my custody. While the latest court order indicated that my parents were responsible for my injuries, it did not formally charge them for the same. Is my life a game? Why am I treated like a toy?
Now, me being moved around, especially to a facility for children with special needs I am emotionally drained. I don’t see normalcy in anything around me. As the Indian MPs’ letter from earlier put it, “Ariha is not a special needs child. Shifting her around from one carer to another will cause deep and damaging trauma to the child,” what happened to that plea? Why is no one listening to me or you?
My father has lost his job since he is fighting with the government for me. My mother is a 24/7 warrior, facing the demons of losing me and self-respect while every visit that she makes to meet me. An Indian family has been destroyed systematically.
As a 2-year-old, I should not be talking logic, law or psychology but Im forced to be an adult before time. I keep waiting to see my parents, stay awake many nights thinking why I am living like this and wait to be back home. I get anxious when Im told that I am never going to go home again and live with my family. Mental illness is the next issue I am going to be burdened with if I am not helped now.
I know many people are praying for me, protesting for me, and writing for me. I am thankful to them for all their concerns. But now Modi ji, concerns won’t help me, I need action and only you can take it. I want to come back to India. And only you can make it possible. Only you can do something to release me from this jail that I do not deserve at all. Only you can make the impossible possible for me. I see you visiting different countries. I also see how they respect you everywhere. I see how they look forward to associating with you. What you say has value across the globe.
Please, Modi Ji, come to Germany and see the state that I am living in and save me. Please cut the process of long embassy talks, legal exchanges, letters from MPs and formal suggestions. Please come to Germany and take me back with you. I am asking for this because I know you are a superhero and you can do anything. I will be indebted to you forever if you save my childhood, my sanity and my Indian-Jain identity. I am India’s daughter and I deserve to be in India.
I will be waiting for you Modi ji. I know you will come and take me back.
Your daughter,
Ariha Shah.
Please Save Me!
