CBSE 10 English Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Solution

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Notes

Table of Contents

Introduction

‘Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom’ is an autobiography written by Nelson Mandela himself. He was the iconic South African leader. This story tells us more about the early life of Nelson Mandela. It reveals his education, how he spent thirty years in prison, and the pains he had suffered at his young age. It also shows us his determination to get the freedom of his own people against apartheid. It also demonstrates the contributions of other freedom fighters in his nation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rolihlahla Mandela was born into the Madiba clan in the village of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape, on 18 July 1918. His mother was Nonqaphi Nosekeni and his father was Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela. He was the principal counsellor to the acting king of the Thembu people, Jongintaba Dalindyebo. In 1930, when he was 12 years old, his father died, and the young Rolihlhal became a ward of Jogintaba at the Great Place in Mqhekezweni. He attended primary school in Qunu, where his teacher, Miss Mdingane, gave him the name Nelson, in accordance with the custom of giving all schoolchildren “Christian” names. On 10th May 1994, he was inaugurated as South Africa’s first democratically elected president. He died at his home in Johannesburg on 5th December 2013.

Theme

The theme of this story is all about freedom. This story shows the campaign to end apartheid, which was one of the defining political struggles of the second half of the 20th century. This lesson pays tribute to those black heroes and patriots who fought against apartheid or the racist regime of South Africa. Nelson Mandela gives a message of peace and unity of mankind. This passage forms a part of the autobiography of Nelson Mandela titled Long Walk to Freedom.

Summary

Nelson Mandela was a great leader who fought for the freedom of his own people in South Africa. He was born on 18th July 1918 in the village of Mvezo in Umtata, then a part of South Africa. He fought against the ‘apartheid’ regime of South Africa, which believed in racialism. In this lesson, we find a description of the inauguration ceremony held on 10th May in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. This ceremony was attended by politicians and dignitaries from more than 140 countries. On this occasion, Nelson Mandela gives a message of peace and unity for mankind. He pledged to obey and uphold the constitution and devote himself to the well-being of the republic and its citizens. His daughter, Zenani, was also present at that ceremony. First, Mr. De Klerk was the 2nd Deputy President, and then Thabo Mbeki, the 1st Deputy President, was sworn in. Then Nelson Mandela took the oath as the first black president. After taking the oath, President Mandela addressed the guests. He promised to create a society of which all humanity would be proud. He also promised to liberate people from the bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination. He wished the sun of freedom to shine on his country forever. After the ceremony, the display of military force was carried out. Then, the jets left off the smoke trail of different colours like black, red, green, blue, and the gold colour of the new South African flag. This day was symbolized for him by playing the two national anthems, and the vision of whites singing ‘Nkosi Sikelel – -iAfrika’ and blacks singing ‘Die Stem’, the old anthem of the Republic. Later on that day, he was overwhelmed with a sense of history. In the first decade of the 20th century, a few years after the bitter Anglo-Boer war and before his own birth, the white-skinned peoples of South Africa patched up their differences and erected a system of racial dominance against the dark-skinned peoples of their own land. He remembered the suffering and courage of thousands of patriots who participated in the long struggles but were not there to witness the fruit of their achievements. It was a resign of oppression and cruelty that created a deep wound in African people. But deep oppression produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, and the Robert Sobukwes of his time men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom, and generosity that their like may never be known again. Nelson Mandela thinks Africa’s real wealth is her people, who are very brave and purest that diamond. His brave people taught him what courage meant to them and him as well. He stated that his country is not only rich in minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds. No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Every man has two obligations, one towards his family and the other towards his people and his country. In the reign of Apartheid, if one tried to fulfil his duty towards his people, he was ripped off his family and home. Mandela stated that he was not born with the hunger to be free. He was born free—free in every way that he could know. As long as he obeyed his father and abided by the customs of his tribe, he was not troubled by the laws of man or God. When he became a young man and joined the African National Congress Party, he first wanted freedom only for himself, the transitory freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what he pleased and go where he chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, he yearned for the basic and honourable freedoms of achieving his potential, of earning he keeps, of marrying and having a family — the freedom not to be obstructed in a lawful life. But then he slowly saw that not only was he not free, but his brothers and sisters were not free. He saw that it was not just his freedom that was curtailed, but the freedom of everyone who looked like he did. It was this desire for the freedom of his people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect that animated his life, that transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home, that forced a life-loving man to live like a monk. He knew that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred; he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. He is not truly free if he is taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as he is not free when his freedom is taken from himself. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

Word Meaning

Word	English Meaning	Hindi Meaning
(to be) besieged by	(old-fashioned, formal word) done, achieved	द्वारा घेर लिया गया
amphitheatre	a building without a roof, with many rows of seats rising in steps (typical of ancient Greece and Rome)	अखाड़ा
confer	(a formal word) here, give	प्रदान करना
We, who were outlaws	because of its policy of apartheid, many countries had earlier broken off diplomatic relations with South Africa	हम, जो अपराधी थे
emancipation	freedom from restriction	मुक्ति
deprivation	state of not having one’s rightful benefits	हानि
discrimination	being treated differently or unfavourably	भेदभाव
spectacular array	an impressive display (colourful and attractive	शानदार सरणी
not unmindful of	conscious of; aware of	बेखबर नहीं
chevron	a pattern in the shape of despised V	शहतीर
despised	had a very low opinion of	तुच्छ
wrought	(old fashioned, formal word) done, achieved	गढ़ा
profound	deep and strong	गहरा
pushed to our limits	pushed to the last point in our ability to bear pain	हमारी सीमा तक धकेल दिया गया
inclinations	natural tendencies of behaviour	हठ
inevitably	unavoidably	अनिवार्यतः
illusion	something that appears to be real but is not	माया
transitory	not permanent	क्षणसाथी
curtailed	reduced	कटौती
prejudice	a strong dislike without any good reason	पूर्वाग्रह

NCERT SOLVED

Q1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public
buildings in India that are made of sandstone?
Ans: The ceremonies took place on the campus of the Union Building of Pretoria, which were attended by many dignitaries and leaders of many nations. In India; Rashtrapati Bhavan and Red Fort are buildings made of red stone.

Q2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?
Ans: South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, may fall in the autumn seasons. This is why 10th May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa.

Q3. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary human disaster.” What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious human achievement” he speaks of at the end?
Ans: By ‘an extraordinary human disaster,’ Mandela means to express the practice of apartheid in South Africa. During this, there was racial segregation based on colour and the blacks suffered a lot. Black people were allowed to express their need for freedom or any right. Mandela himself spent many years on the infamous ‘Robben Island’ as a prisoner, where he was beaten mercifully. He looks at it as a great, glorious human achievement that a black person became the President of a country for the first time where blacks were not even considered human beings and were treated very badly and mercifully.

Q4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?
Ans: Mandela thanked all the distinguished international guests who had come to attend the grand oath ceremony because he was very honored as the first black president of South Africa. He felt very privileged to be the host to the nations of the world because, not very long ago, blacks were considered outlaws.

Q5. What ideals does Nelson Mandela set for the future of South Africa?
Ans: Nelson Mandela set the ideals of giving liberty to the people of South Africa from the Bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination.

Q6. What did the military generals do? How did their attitude change and why?
Ans: The highest military generals of the South African defense force and police saluted Nelson Mandela and pledged their loyalty, which was of great importance as during the apartheid era they would have arrested him. The change in their attitude was of great significance for him because instead of arresting a black person, they were saluting him.

Q7. Why were two national anthems sung?
Ans: On this memorable day of the inauguration, two national anthems were sung: ‘Nkosi Sikelel-iAfrika’ by the Whites and ‘Die Stem’, by the Blacks, symbolizing the equality of the blacks and the whites. Nelson Mandela wanted to bring an end to that racial discrimination forever.

Q8. How does Mandela describe the system of government in his country (i) in the first decade, and (ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?
Ans: (i) In the first decade of the century, the white people of South Africa made a high wall of differentiation and created a system of racial discrimination against dark-skinned people of their own native land, thus creating the basis of one of the most brutal and most inhuman societies the world had ever known.
(ii) In the final decade of the 20th century, the previous system had been abolished forever and replaced by one that recognized the rights and freedoms of all black people without any bias.

Q9. What does courage mean to Mandela?
Ans: For Mandela, courage does not mean the absence of fear but a victory over it. According to his opinion, brave men need not be fearless but should be able to conquer it.

Q10. Which does Mandela think is natural, to love or to hate?
Ans: For Mandela, love comes more naturally to the human heart than hate.

Q11. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
Ans: Mandela mentions that every man has twin obligations. The first is to look after his family, parents, wife, and children, and the second obligation is to his people, his community, and his country.

Q12. What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he contrast these “transitory freedoms” with the basic and honourable freedoms”?
Ans: Like any other kid for Mandela, freedom meant the freedom to make merry and enjoy a blissful life. Once anybody becomes an adult, then foolish behaviour of childhood looks like transitory because most of the childish activity is wasteful from an adult’s perspective. Once you are an adult, then somebody you have to earn a livelihood to bring the bacon home, ten only you get an honourable existence in the family and in society.

Q13. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?
Ans: Mandela does not think the oppressor is free because, according to him, an oppressor is a prisoner of hatred, and thinks that he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. He thinks that both the oppressed and the oppressor are the same, and both are robbed of their humanity.

Thinking about the text

Q1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration?
What did it signify the triumph of?
Ans: A large number of international leaders attended the inauguration to pay their respects to the first black president of South Africa. That day signifies the triumph of human freedom and democracy over brutal practices.

Q2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those
African patriots” who had gone before him?
Ans: By saying this, Mandela was paying tribute to the great people who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country’s freedom. He feels that he is the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before him without witnessing this auspicious day. He says that those heroes of the past paved the way for cooperation and unity for him. They made it possible for me to achieve this day.

Q3. Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”?
How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument?
Ans: I agree with the statement that the depths of oppression create heights of character. Mandela says that the decades of oppression and brutality produced many patriots. They were like Oliver Tambos, Walter Sisulus, Chief Luthulis, Yusuf Dadoos, etc. India is full of such examples, during the freedom struggle of India, there was a galaxy of leaders of great characters, and the oppression of British roles created and encouraged people of noble characters like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Bhagat Singh, and many more. If we compare them with the quality of political leaders India, is having today, then Nelson Mandela seems to be absolutely correct.

Q4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
Ans: When Mandela was in his youth, he thought that he was born free and believed that as long as he obeyed his father and abided by the customers of his tribe, he was free in every possible manner. But as he grew up, he started understanding the real meaning of freedom. The situation which he started experiencing was totally different from his previous thought relating to freedom. Gradually he realized that in his childhood he was nothing but selfish. He realized that it was not just his freedom that was being curtailed, but the freedom of all blacks. It was the freedom from fear and prejudice. So, the experience changed his perspective on freedom.

Q5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?
Ans: As Mandela grew up, he realized that it was not just his freedom that was curtailed, but the freedom of all black people was snatched. And this thought changed the fearful man to a fearless rebel. He started working day and night for his country. He underwent many physical and mental tortures. He sacrificed his comfortable and settled life for a greater cause. Later on, he joined the African National Congress and fought against racial prejudice.

Thinking about Language

I. There are nouns in the text (formation, government) that are formed from the corresponding verbs (form, govern) by suffixing -(at)ion or ment. There may be a change in the spelling of some verb-noun pairs: such as rebel, rebellion; constitute, and constitution.

1. Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.

Noun	Verb
rebellion	rebel
constitution	constitute
government
transformation
discrimination
oppression

Answer:

Noun	formation
rebellion	rebel
constitution	constitute
formtion	form
government	govern
transformation	transform
discrimination	discriminate
demonstration	demonstrate
oppression	oppress
imagination	imagine
deprivation	deprive
obligation	oblige

2. Read the paragraph below. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs in brackets.

Martin Luther King’s _________________ (contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader began when he came to the ___________________________ (assist) of Rosa Parks, a seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In those days, American Blacks were confined to
positions of second-class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws would mean ________________________ (subjugate) and _____________________ (humiliate) by the police and the legal system. Beatings, _________________________ (imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who defied the system. Martin Luther King’s tactics of protest involved non-violent resistance _________________ (resist) to racial injustice.

Ans: Martin Luther King’s contribution (contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader began when he came to the assistance (assist) of Rosa Parks, a seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In those days, American Blacks were confined to positions of second-class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws would mean subjugation (subjugate) and humiliation (humiliate) by the police and the legal system. Beatings, imprisonment (imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who defied the system. Martin Luther King’s tactics of protest involved non-violent resistance (resist) to racial injustice.

II. Using the Definite Article with Names

You know that the definite article ‘the’ is not normally used before proper nouns. Nor do proper nouns usually occur in the plural. (We do not say: *The Nelson Mandela, or *Nelson Mandela.) But now look at this sentence from the text:
… the decades of oppression and brutality … produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, … of our time.
Used in this way with the and/or in the plural, a proper noun carries a special meaning. For example, what do you think the names above mean?
Choose the right answer.
(a) for example Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, …
(b) many other men like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu …/many men of their type or kind, whose names may not be as well known.
Did you choose option (b)? Then you have the right answer!

Here are some more examples of ‘the’ used with proper names. Try to say what these sentences mean. (You may consult a dictionary if you wish. Look at the entry for ‘the’.)

Mr Singh regularly invites the Amitabh Bachchans and the Shah Rukh Khans to his parties.
Many people think that Madhuri Dixit is the Madhubala of our times.
History is not only the story of the Alexanders, the Napoleons and the Hitlers, but of ordinary people as well.

Answer:
1. This means that Mr. Singh regularly invites famous persons such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to his parties.

2. This sentence is showing a comparison between two persons. Here, the acting skill of Madhuri Dixit is compared to the acting skill of the legendary actress Madhuwala.

3. This sentence is saying that history is not only about the famous persons about whom we read in our books. Common people have also played a very significant role in making our history. But their names are not mentioned on the pages of our books. They became anonymous.

III. Idiomatic Expressions
Match the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest in
meaning in Column B. (Hint: First look for the sentence in the text in
which the phrase in Column A occurs.)

A	B
1. I was not unmindful of the fact	(i) had not forgotten; was aware of the fact (ii) was not careful about the fact (iii) forgot or was not aware of the fact
2. when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits	(i) pushed by the guards to the wall (ii) took more than our share of beatings (iii) felt that we could not endure the suffering any longer
3. to reassure me and keep me going	(i) make me go on walking (ii) help me continue to live in hope in this very difficult situation (iii) make me remain without complaining
4. the basic and honourable freedoms of…earning my keep,…	(i) earning enough money to live on (ii) keeping what I earned (iii) getting a good salary

Answer:

A	B
1. I was not unmindful of the fact	(i) had not forgotten: was aware of the fact
2. when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits	(iii) felt that we could not endure the suffering any longer
3. to reassure me and keep me going	(ii) help me continue to live in hope this very difficult situation
4. the basic and honourable freedoms of…earning my keep,…	(i) earning enough money to live on

Writing

I. Looking at Contrasts
Nelson Mandela’s writing is marked by balance: many sentences have two parts in balance.
III. Idiomatic Expressions
Match the italicized phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest in meaning in Column B. (Hint: First look for the sentence in the text in which the phrase in Column A occurs.)
Use the following phrases to complete the sentences given below:

(i) they can be taught to love. (ii) I was born free. (iii) but the triumph over it. (iv) but he who conquers that fear. (v) to create such heights of character.

It requires such depths of oppression ____________________________________
Courage was not the absence of fear ________________________________________
The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid _____________________________________
If people can learn to hate ____________________________________________________
I was not born with a hunger to be free. _______________________________________________

Answer:
1. It requires such depths of oppression—to create such heights of character
2. Courage was not the absence of fear—but the triumph over it.
3. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid—but he who conquers that fear.
4. If people can learn to hate – they can be taught to love.
5. I was not born with a hunger to be free—I was born free.

II. This text repeatedly contrasts the past with the present or the future. We can use coordinated clauses to contrast two views, for emphasis or effect.
Given below are sentences carrying one part of the contrast. Find in the text the second part of the contrast and complete each item. Identify the words which signal the contrast. This has been done for you in the first item.

For decades the Union Buildings had been the seat of white supremacy, and now ………
Only moments before, the highest generals of the South African defence force and police … saluted me and pledged their loyalty. … not so many years before they would not have saluted ___________
Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem …, they would soon _____________
My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, _____________
The Air Show was not only a display of pinpoint precision and military force, but _________________
It was this desire for the freedom of my people … that transformed______________ into a bold one, that drove ________________ to become a criminal, that turned ______________ into a man without a home.

Answer:
1. For decades, the Union Buildings had been the seat of white supremacy,
and now … it was the site of a rainbow gathering of different colours and nations

2. Only moments before, the highest generals of the South African defence force and police … saluted me and pledged their loyalty. … not so many years before they would not have saluted – they would not have saluted but arrested me.

3. Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem …, they
would soon – neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem they once despised ……. known the chords by heart.

4. My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, I have always known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.

5. The Air Show was not only a display of pinpoint precision and military force, but a demonstration of the military’s loyalty to democracy, to a new government that had been freely and fairly elected.

6. It was this desire for the freedom of my people… that transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home.