Geneva [Switzerland], September 24 : Sambhali Trust on Wednesday organised “Desert Daughters of India 2.0”, a photo exhibition at the United Nations in Geneva, highlighting the experiences and resilience of displaced and vulnerable communities living in the desert regions of Rajasthan.
The exhibition brought to an international audience the stories of families who migrated to India from Pakistan, including a significant number of Hindu families, and have been rebuilding their lives in Rajasthan.
Through photographs, personal accounts and information panels, the exhibition documented their journey from displacement towards safety, dignity, education, livelihood opportunities and integration into local communities.

A key theme of the exhibition was India’s role as a place where these families have been able to rebuild their lives and create new opportunities for themselves and their children. The stories highlighted access to education, livelihoods, community support and efforts towards social and economic integration.
The exhibition also highlighted the legal framework governing citizenship for eligible members of certain religious communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, along with the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, provides a statutory pathway for eligible persons covered by the law to apply for Indian citizenship through registration or naturalisation.

The Government of India has also established an electronic process for submitting citizenship applications under the relevant provisions, with applications processed through designated authorities.
Against this backdrop, “Desert Daughters of India 2.0” presented the stories of these communities as more than accounts of displacement, focusing also on resilience, new beginnings, education, livelihood and the opportunities available to future generations in India.
The exhibition sought to give international visitors a closer understanding of the lived experiences of communities that have rebuilt their lives in Rajasthan and the challenges and aspirations that continue to shape their journey.