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Sitapur/Belrampur: On a Thursday morning, the government primary school in Chulhabari village in Belrampur district was shut. As on the previous day, none of the four teachers was present. Of the 25 students admitted to the school, only one turned up on both days.

Arbaaz Ali is neither surprised nor deterred. "The school was closed yesterday also," said Ali, pulling his school bag over his shoulder.

Like the seven year old from Chulhabari, 24-year-old unemployed Mohammed Zoyab, a resident of Khairabad in Sitapur district, has seen his aspirations similarly nixed. Between them they define the birth of a new narrative of growing aspirations in the state of Uttar Pradesh—something that challenges the traditional stereotypes that has led to some of the political parties such as the Congress couch their electoral message in job quotas based on religion.

Both of them fall within the 55 assembly constituencies due to vote on 8 February, kicking off the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh. While Ali will have to wait another 11 years, Zoyab will be among those who articulate their electoral choice. Given his frustrations at going jobless, there is no guarantee that he will vote either for the Congress or the Samajwadi Party—the self-appointed champions of the Muslim community. If this is indeed true, the voting patterns may not necessarily be along traditional lines and hence may harbour a surprise—nasty for some and pleasant for the victors.

The new paradigm

Although, a section of Muslims appreciate the 4.5% quota the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has offered to backward Muslims, the youth as well as scholars in the minority community believe quotas are not what they need.

"The reservation is announced just for electoral gains, because those who promise higher quotas know that it is not practical. The fact is that Muslims do want more primary and higher secondary schools and hospitals than the number of police stations in their locality," said Firoz Bakht Ahmed, a Delhi-based expert on social and educational issues.