ENGLISH
CHAPTER 2: NELSON MANDELA – LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
NELSON MANDELA – LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
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NELSON MANDELA – LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
~Summary~
-by Nelson Rolihalahla Mandela
The Inauguration
It was 10th May, the day of oath with a bright and shiny sun. Nelson Mandela was supposed to
take oath as the first black President of South Africa. A large number of leaders all from around
the world had gathered there to be the witness of the swearing-in ceremony of Nelson Mandela
as the first black President. The inauguration ceremony took place in a big open building in
Pretoria where the first democratic non-racial government was to be installed.
The Swearing-in Ceremony of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was accompanied by his daughter Zenani. Mr de Klerk was the first person who
took oath as second Deputy President followed by Mr Thabo Mbeki who sweared as the first
Deputy President of South Africa. Nelson Mandela sweared as the first black President of South
Africa. He pledged to obey and uphold the Constitution and to devote himself to the well-being
of the people. He also promised to make the nation free from poverty, deprivation, suffering and
all sort of discrimination.
Display of the Military Power by South African Jets
When Mandela had taken oath, South African jets displayed the military power. It also showed
the loyalty of military to democracy. The highest military generals saluted him. He recounted that
they would have arrested him many years before. It was followed by the playing of two national
anthems. The whites sang 'Nkosi Sikelel' the old song and the blacks sang 'Die Stem' the new song
which marked the end of the ceremony.
Apartheid and South Africa
Nelson Mandela reminiscences (remembers) about days gone by which will soon be the part of
history where the whites had formed a system of racial dominance against the blacks. It was the
basis of the harsh societies which is now overturned. He says that the policy of apartheid (policy
of racial segregation) created a deep and lasting wound on his country and its people.
Now it is the system that recognised the rights and freedom of all people.
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Regret of Mandela and Remembrance of Freedom Fighters
On the auspicious day, Mandela regretted the loss of thousands of people and remembered their
sacrifices for the freedom from discrimination. He thought of himself as the sum of all those
African patriots who sacrificed their lives before him. He was pained that he couldn't thank them.
He recalled great freedom fighters like Oliver, Tambos, Walter Sisulu, Chief Luthuli, Yusuf Dadoo
etc who were the men of uncommon courage, wisdom and generosity.
He said that the country is rich in minerals but its greatest wealth is its people.
Goodness and Duties of a Man
The author says that being white or black is not the token of your goodness or superiority. No
one is born hating other, people should love one another which comes without force as it is
natural. It is man's essential goodness.
A man has to perform duties to his family, community and country which he didn't see in his
country before he pushed himself to fight for the blacks. A black man was punished if he tried to
live like a human being and forced to live apart from his own people. So, he was not allowed to
perform his duties to his family.
Meaning of Freedom by Mandela
As a kid, Mandela had different meaning for being free as he wanted to run in the fields and
wanted to stay out at night. As he grew older, he wanted the freedom of livelihood for himself
and his family. But soon he realised that such freedom was only an illusion. He realised that his
brothers and sisters who looked like him were not free, so he joined African National Congress
(ANC). His hunger for freedom became great for the freedom of his people. He desired that
everyone should be given the right to live his life with dignity and respect. He wanted the
oppressor and the oppressed to be liberated. As no one is free if one is taking someone else's
freedom. Only such feelings can bring true freedom for everyone.
Conclusion of Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
The brave man is not the one who does not feel afraid, but he is the one who conquers that
fear. Mandela said that every man has his duties towards his country and community too.
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NCERT SOLUTION
Questions (Page No. 18,19,21,24)
(ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK)
Question. 1 Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India
that are made of sandstone?
Answer: The ceremonies took place in the sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union
Buildings in Pretoria.
The Parliament House in New Delhi, the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, the Supreme Court of
India in New Delhi and Madras High Court in Chennai are some examples of Indian public
buildings that are made of sandstone.
Question. 2 Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?
Answer: 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa because on this day there was the largest
gathering of international leaders on South African soil for the installation of South Africa’s first
democratic, non-racial government.
Question. 3 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?
Answer: The extraordinary human disaster that Mandela mentioned at the beginning of his
speech refers to the inhuman practice of apartheid i.e., the racial discrimination suffered by the
blacks at the hands of whites in South Africa. At the end, the glorious human achievement that
he spoke of refers to the establishment of South Africa first democratic, non-racial government.
Question. 4 What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?
Answer: Mandela felt privileged to be the host to the nations of the world because not too long
ago, the South Africans were considered outlaws. He thus thanked all the international leaders
for having come to witness his investiture as President since this event could be considered as a
common victory for justice, peace and human dignity.
Question. 5 What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?
Answer: Mandela had high hopes for the future of South Africa. He pledged to liberate all South
Africans from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other
discrimination. He also stressed that the beautiful land of South Africa would never ever
experience racial discrimination again.
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Question. 6 What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?
Answer: The highest military generals of the South African defense force and police saluted
Mandela and pledged their loyalty. When the military generals saluted Mandela, he was not
unmindful of the fact that not too many years ago, they would not have saluted him, but arrested
him. This change in attitude was due to the fact that a new, non-racial government was elected
and Mandela was then the President of South Africa.
Question. 7 Why were two national anthems sung?
Answer: On the day of the inauguration, two national anthems were sung, one by the whites,
and the other by the blacks. This symbolized the equality of blacks and whites.
Question. 8 How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country (i) in the first
decade, and (ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?
Answer:
i. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the white-skinned people of South Africa
patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination against the dark-
skinned people of their own land, thus creating the basis of one of the harshest and most
inhumane societies the world had ever kno
ii. In the last decade of the twentieth century, the previous system had been overturned
forever and replaced by one that recognized the rights and freedoms of all peoples,
regardless of the colour of their skin.
Question. 9 What does courage mean to Mandela?
Answer: On seeing men stand up to attacks and torture without breaking and thus showing
strength and resilience that defied the imagination, Mandela learnt that courage was not the
absence of fear, but the triumph over it.
Question. 10 Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?
Answer: For Mandela, love comes more naturally to the human heart than hate.
Question. 11 What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
Answer: Mandela mentions that every man has twin obligations. The first is to his family,
parents, wife and children; the second obligation is to his people, his community and his
country.
Question. 12 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”?
Answer: As a boy, Mandela did not have a hunger to be free as he thought that he was born
free. As long as he obeyed his father and abided by the customs of his tribe, he was free in
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every way he knew. As a student, he wanted certain “transitory freedoms” only for himself,
such as being able to stay out at night, read what he pleased and go where he chose. He then
talks about certain “basic honorable freedoms” such as achieving his potential of earning his
living and of marrying and having a family. He builds the contrast between these two
freedoms by stating that the transitory freedoms he wanted were limited to him, whereas
the honorable freedoms had to do more with his and his people’s position in the society.
Question. 13 Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?
Answer: Mandela does not feel that the oppressor is free because according to him an
oppressor is a prisoner of hatred, who is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-
mindedness. He feels that both the oppressor and the oppressed are robbed of their
humanity.
Questions (Page No. 24)
(THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT)
Question. 1 Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration?
What did it signify the triumph of?
Answer: Before Nelson Mandela became the President, South Africa was in the grips of
apartheid and was thus declared an outlaw by other nations. When Mandela became the
President, he abolished apartheid and thus diplomatic relations were rebuilt with many
countries. The inauguration of a new, non-racial government was a historic moment in South
African as well as world history. Thus, several distinguished international leaders attended
this inauguration. It signified the triumph of justice, peace and human dignity.
Question. 2 What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African
patriots” who had gone before him?
Answer: When Mandela says that he was ‘simply the sum of all African patriots,’ he means
that he could identify with the unimaginable sacrifices of all those noble and courageous men
who fought for the collective freedom of the African people. He was pained that he could not
thank them and that they could not see what their sacrifices had wrought.
Question. 3 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?
Answer: Yes, I agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”. Mandela
thought that the decades of brutality and oppression had an unintended effect of creating
many African patriots with unimaginable heights of character. Thus, he felt that the greatest
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wealth of South Africa is its people. In similar manner, Bhagat Singh remained courageous
while facing utmost cruelty at the hands of British.
Question. 4 How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
Answer: As a boy, Mandela did not have a hunger for freedom because he thought that he
was born free. He believed that as long as he obeyed his father and abided by the customs of
his tribe, he was free in every possible manner. He had certain needs as a teenager and
certain needs as a young man. Gradually, he realized that he was selfish during his boyhood.
He slowly understands that it is not just his freedom that is being curtailed, but the freedom
of all blacks. It is after attaining this understanding that he develops a hunger for the freedom
of his people.
Question. 5 How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?
Answer: Mandela realized in his youth that it was not just his freedom that was being
curtailed, but the freedom of all blacks. The hunger for his own freedom became the hunger
for the freedom of his people. This desire of a non-racial society transformed him into a
virtuous and self-sacrificing man. Thus, he joined the African National Congress and this
changed him from a frightened young man into a bold man.
Questions (Page No. 24-26)
(THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE)
Question. 1 There are nouns in the text (formation, government) which 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, constitution.
Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.
Noun Verb
Rebellion Rebel
Constitution Constitute
Answer:
Noun Verb
Rebellion Rebel
Constitution Constitution
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Formation From
Goverment Govern
Obligation Oblige
Transformation Transform
Discrimination Discriminate
Deprivation Deprive
Demonstration Demonstrate
Oppression Oppress
Imagination Imagine
Question. 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 ________ (resist) to racial injustice.
Answer: 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.
Question. 3 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’.)
1. Mr. Singh regularly invites the Amitabh Bachchans and the Shah Rukh Khans to his parties.
2. Many people think that Madhuri Dixit is the Madhubala of our times.
3. 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 personalities such as Amitabh
Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to his parties.
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2. This means that Madhuri Dixit is compared to a landmark in acting in the form of
legendary actress Madhubala.
3. This means that history is not only the story of the great fighters and leaders such as
Alexander, Napoleon and Hitler, but also of ordinary people.
Question. 4 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 (i) pushed by the guards to the wall
to our limits (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
make me remain without complaining
4 The basic and honourable freedoms (i) earning enough money to live on
of…earning my keep,… (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 (iii) Felt that we could not endure the suffering
our limits any longer
3 To reassure me and keep me going (ii) Help me continue to live in hope in this very
difficult situation
4 The basic and honourable freedoms (i) Earning enough money to live on
of…earning my keep,…
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