A LONG WALK TO FREEDOM – NELSON MANDELA

1. Where did the oath-taking ceremony take place?

The oath-taking ceremony took place in Union Buildings of

Pretoria.

2. What promise does Mandela make in the beginning of opening

of his oath-taking speech?

Mandela thanks all the international leaders and guests as he

calls it an occasion of joy and victory for Justice. He promises that
the country shall not again experience the oppression of one by
another.

3. What ideals did Mandela set out for the future of South Africa
in his speech?

Mandela set out ideals for the future of South Africa because he
had deep feelings for his country and countrymen. He pledged to
liberate all the people from poverty, deprivation and
discrimination.

4. What freedom meant to Mandela in childhood? [CBSE 2015]

During childhood the meaning of freedom for Mandela was quite

limited he considered it to be free to run in the fields, to swim in
the clear stream, free to roast mealies and ride the board backs
of slow moving bulls.

5. Why did inauguration ceremony take place in the amphitheatre

formed by the Union Building in Pretoria?

It was the first democratic, non-racial government taking oath in

South Africa. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from
more than 140 countries around the world and thousands of the
people of South Africa of all the races to make the day
memorable. So, it took place in, the amphiteatre formed by the
Union Building in Pretoria.

6. What are the ideals which Mandela set for the future of South
Africa in his swearing- in ceremony?
Mandela emphasised to liberate all the people from poverty,
deprivation, suffering, gender and other discriminations in his
swearing-in ceremony.

7. What did Mandela think for oppressor and oppressed? [CBSE

2011]

Mandela always thought that both oppressor and oppressed are

deprived of their humanity. Oppressor is a prisoner of hatred
while oppressed has no confidence in humanity so both of them
need to be liberated.

8. What do you understand by Apartheid’?

‘Apartheid’ is a political system that divides people according to

their race. In this system black-coloured people in South Africa
were not free even to discharge their personal and social
obligations of being parents, sons and husbands, etc.

9. Describe the effect of the policy of apartheid on the people of

South Africa.

The policy of apartheid could not be considered fortunate for the

people of South Africa. It created distance and a deep wound in
the country and the people. Many great men like Oliver Tambo,
Walttr Sisulu, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer, etc were produced due
to the brutality and oppression. They were men of great character

10. How is courage related to the brave man according to the

author of the lesson?

The author believes that courage is not the absence of fear, but it
is the triumph over it. The brave man is not the one who does not
feel fear of any kind but he is the one who has the courage to
conquer it.

11. Could everyone fulfil the obligations personal or social in

South Africa?

No, everyone was not free to fulfil their obligations because of

colour of the skin. If a person tried to fulfil their obligations, they
were punished and isolated for being a rebellion.
12. What did Mandela realise about his brothers and
sisters? [CBSE 2012]

Mandela realised that his brothers and sisters were not free in
their own country due to their colour. The freedom of everyone in
his society was curtailed. He joined the African National Congress
and fought for the freedom.

13. Why was Nelson Mandela changed into a bold man?

Nelson Mandela was changed into a bold man due to his . desire
of the freedom for his country and his countrymen. He wanted to
live a life with dignity as he could not enjoy the limited freedom.

14. What did Mandela think about the oppressor and the
oppressed?

Mandela thought about the oppressor and the oppressed that

both are robbed equally. A mail who takes away another man’s
freedom is a prisoner of hatred. In the same way, if his freedom is
taken away, they both are without freedom. So both of them must
be liberated.

15. How did ‘hunger for freedom’ change Mandela’s life?

In the beginning of his life, Mandela was not aware about

freedom. Later, Mandela found that his freedom had been taken
away from him. As a student, he wanted freedom only for himself
but slowly his own freedom became the greater hunger for the
freedom of his people. This changed him completely.

16. What are the ‘twin obligations’ referred to by Nelson

Mandela?

According to Nelson Mandela, every man has two obligations in

life. The first obligation is to his family, to his parents, wife and
children. Secondly, he has an obligation to his country, people,
and community.

17. Could a man. according to Mandela, fulfil these twin

obligations in a country like South Africa?
No, these twin obligations could not be fulfilled by a man, in a
country like South Africa, according to Mandela. It was because a
man of dark colour who attempted just to live as a human being
was punished and isolated in the country.

18. What is the meaning of courage to Mandela?

According to Mandela, courage was not the absence of fear, but

triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid,
but he who conquers that fear. Mandela learned the true meaning
of courage from his comrades in the struggle.

19. What was unique in the inauguration ceremony?

The inauguration ceremony took place in the amphitheatre

formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. For decades, this had
been the seat of white supremacy. Now it was the oath taking
ceremony day for South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial
government. It was really a unique occasion.

20. Describe the inauguration ceremony in simple words?

It was the day of 10th May, 1994. The first democratic, non- racial
government was to be installed. Dignitaries from different
countries participated in the ceremony. South African men,
women and children of all races were present there.

21. Describe Mandela’s life journey from a prisoner to the first

black President of south Africa.

Nelson Mandela did a life-long struggle against the racial

discrimination in South Africa. He had to pass many years of his
life as a prisoner in the jail. At last the first democratic elections
were held in South Africa. His party won 252 seats out of400 and
he became the first black President of South Africa.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. What does Nelson Mandela refer to as “an extraordinary

human disaster”?
Nelson Mandela refers to the apartheid policy of the white race
against the black people as “an extraordinary human disaster”.
White people snatched freedom from the coloured people of
South Africa to whom the country belonged. The black people
were subjected to oppression for long. They were not even
allowed to discharge their obligations to their own families,
community and their country. White people had no compassion
for them and oppressed their own people and put them in prison.
If they had some freedom, it was curtailed. The black people lived
the life of a slave.

2. Describe the views of Mandela for the black people who fought
and sacrificed their likes for the country’s political independence?

Mandela always said that the political freedom was the result of
sacrifices of thousands of the black people who fought for that. He
said that it could not be repaid. He thought himself as the sum of
all of those African patriots. He regretted that he could not thank
them. He cursed the policy of apartheid that wounded the people
of his country, which would take centuries to heal.

He also said that the oppression and brutality of the white people
produced great freedom fighters like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu,
Luthuli, Dadoo, Fischer, Sobukwe and many more. They were the
men of courage, wisdom and large heartedness. They really
suffered a lot for the political freedom of the country.

3. What does Mandela mean to say that the oppressor and the
oppressed alike are robbed of their humanity?

Mandela is right in saying that the oppressor and the oppressed

alike are robbed of their humanity. Both of them are actually the
victim of hatred. Everyone is obliged to discharge their duties
whether personal or social but without freedom a man cannot do
so. The person who snatches this freedom of a man is really an
oppressor and a prisoner of hatred. He has lack of humanity. But
this is the same with a person who is oppressed by other.

4. Describe the obligations which the author is talking about and

also describe his feelings for them?
In the chapter the author has talked about two obligation for
every man. The first obligation is towards his family, parents, his
wife and children. The second is towards his community and his
country. Being a social person one has to fulfil these obligations.

But being a black coloured person in South Africa, a man was not
free to perform his obligations and got punished if he tried to do
that.
Being a child the author never thought of such obligations but
after he did so, he fought for the people and the country to be
free and enjoy their freedom of performing their duties personal
and social.

5. Describe the value of freedom for the human beings and how it
is important for the growth of civilisation and humanism as
described in the lesson ‘Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to
Freedom’. [CBSE2014]

Everybody whether human or other creatures wants to live free as

freedom is natural to all living beings. The value of freedom is
better known to that human being who has not tasted it till he
gets it. A person who is chained with the limits and not allowed to
perform his duties freely, values freedom more than anyone else.
For instance the value of freedom is known better to Mandela who
remained behind the bars most of his life. Think about a bird or
animal which is caged as they have the habit of living with full
freedom but in the cage they are not free and their conditions are
very pitiable. Similarly, life becomes a hell if we are deprived of
freedom. There is no growth of civilisation as it grows only when
one has freedom. Similarly, humanism grows in the atmosphere
of freedom.