I’ve been a strong critic of Muhammad Ismail’s decision to revive the Muslim League in independent India. But as a Malabari Muslim, I can tell you that the creation of Pakistan was never a mainstream sentiment among us. Yes, the Malabar Muslim League may have supported the Lahore Resolution, and some even advocated a Moplahstan movement. But neither appears to have gained enough traction among Mappila Muslims to become a mainstream political aspiration. One reason, I’d argue, is that a separate Muslim homeland was never seen as a practically viable solution in Malabar. Nor was there a compelling, sustained desire among Malabar Muslims to separate themselves from the region’s Hindu communities.