Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Theme of the Story

The lesson pays tribute to those black heroes and patriots who waged a
relentless struggle against the apartheid or the racist regime of South
Africa. Here we find a description of the inauguration ceremony held in
the Union Buildings attended by politicians and dignitaries from more
than 140 countries. Nelson Mandela gives a message of peace and
unity of mankind. He foresees a new regime which will be based on the
equality of men and women. He hopes that in the new regime there will
be no exploitation of man by man. There will be no room for racialism
and segregation in the new order.

Answer the following

1. What pained Nelson Mandela on becoming the President of

South Africa?

Answer: Nelson Mandela was sad for not being able to thank those
African patriots who had fought for independence and sacrificed their
lives for it. This pained him that they were not able to see what their
sacrifices had brought.

2. When did Mandela’s hunger for self-turn into a hunger for

freedom for all his people?

Answer: Mandela gradually realized that freedom was curtailed for

those people who looked like he did, but not for the whites.
Consequently, he joined the African National Congress, and that was
when his “hunger for freedom” became a “greater hunger.”

3. How was that site a rainbow gathering of different colours and

nations?

Answer: The end of the apartheid regime was a common victory for
peace, justice and human dignity. Leaders and dignitaries of all nations
irrespective of their colour, race and religion had gathered there to
celebrate that victory. So, the site presented a rainbow gathering of
different colours and nations.
4. What was born out of the experience of an extraordinary
human disaster? Why should humanity be proud of it?

Answer: The apartheid regime was an extraordinary human disaster for

the blacks of South Africa. The end of the apartheid laid down the
foundation of a non-racial democratic regime in South Africa. This
government based on human equality and dignity would be an ideal one
of which all humanity will be proud.

5. Why was the apartheid regime in South Africa was one of the
harshest and most inhuman systems in the world?

Answer: The apartheid regime was based on the racial discrimination

and exploitation of blacks in South Africa. The basic or fundamental
rights were only for the whites and the blacks were deprived of these
freedoms. Oppression, torture and exploitation of the blacks were
common features of the apartheid regime.

6. How did the policy of apartheid and deep oppression produce

patriots of extraordinary, courage, wisdom and generosity?

Answer: The policy of apartheid unleashed a reign of terror and

oppression on the black people but they could not break their resolution
and determination. The deep oppression produced patriot of
extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity. It produced thousands of
Tambos, Sisulus, Sadoos, Fischer’s and Sobukwes of their time.

7. What is the greatest wealth of a country according to Nelson

Mandela?

Answer: South Africa is rich in minerals and gems. But minerals and
gems are not the greatest wealth of a nation. Mandela thinks that the
greatest and real wealth of a nation is its people. They are finer and truer
than the purest diamonds.

8. What animated Mandela’s life and transformed a frightened

young lawyer into a bold criminal?

Answer: It was the desire for the freedom of his people to live their lives
with dignity and self-respect that animated his life. It transformed a
frightened young man into a bold one. It drove a law-abiding attorney to
be a criminal. It turned a family loving husband to live like a monk.

9. Why did Nelson Mandela feel that both the oppressor and the
oppressed are robbed of their humanity and hence, both of
them must be liberated?

Answer: Nelson Mandela rightly believes that both the oppressor and
the oppressed are robbed of their humanity. A man who takes away
another’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred. He is locked behind the bars
of prejudice and hate. A person can never be free if his freedom is taken
away. Hence, the oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their
humanity.

10. Draw a character-sketch of Nelson Mandela highlighting

his struggle against the apartheid regime for the human rights
of his people.

Ans. Nelson Mandela was the tallest of all the black heroes who waged
a relentless fight against the racial-regime in South Africa. He suffered
untold sufferings and tortures in prison but led the country to install the
first democratically elected government in South Africa. Nelson Mandela
was not born with a hunger to be free. Later on, he realised that his
boyhood freedom was an illusion. He also realised his concept of
freedom in his youth was also ‘transitory’ and was limited to his personal
freedom. Only when he joined the African National Congress, his own
freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of his people. Only
then, a frightened young lawyer was transformed into a bold `criminal’. A
family-loving husband was forced to lead the life of a monk in secrecy.
Nelson Mandela is grateful in acknowledging the unimaginable sacrifices
of thousands of black heroes for the freedom of their people. Modestly,
he realises that freedom is indivisible. He realised that he could not lead
a free and honourable life if his people were in chains.

Nelson Mandela had a wider vision of humanity. For him, freedom was
comprehensive and couldn’t be divided. It shows his greatness that both
the oppressor and the oppressed should be liberated. Both of them alike
are robbed of their humanity.
11. Which twin obligations does Nelson Mandela mention in
the lesson? Why were he and the rest of blacks able to fulfil
those obligations?

Ans. Nelson Mandela that every man has twin obligations in life. The first
obligation of a man is to his family, to his parents, to his wife and
children. He has another obligation also. He has an obligation to his
people, his community and his country. Every man is to do his duty
according to his situation and strength. But in South Africa, it was
impossible for a man like Mandela or other blacks to fulfil those
obligations. If a man tried to live as a human being, he was punished
and isolated. If any person in South Africa tried to do his duty to his
people, he was forcefully separated from his family and his home. He
was forced to lead a life of secrecy and rebellion. Nelson Mandela
placed his people above his family. In attempting to serve his people, he
was prevented from fulfilling his obligations as a son, a brother, a father
and a husband.

12. Why does Mandela say that freedom is indivisible? How

are the oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their
humanity?

Ans. Nelson Mandela believes that freedom is indivisible. His hunger for
his own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of his
people. He couldn’t live his life with dignity and self-respect if his own
people were bound in chains. The chains on any one of his people were
the chains on all of them. The chains on all of his people were the chains
on him. Mandela realised that the oppressor must be liberated as surely
as the oppressed. A man who takes away another’s freedom is a
prisoner of hatred, prejudice and narrow mindedness. He is not truly free
if he is taking away someone else’s freedom. Surely, he is not free when
his freedom is taken away from him. Thus the oppressed and the
oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

13. The inauguration ceremony symbolised a common

victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity against the
most hated apartheid regime based on racial discrimination.
Comment.
Ans. The inauguration ceremony of the installation of a democratically
elected government in South Africa was of great historical importance.
After the Boer war, the white ‘peoples’, patched up their differences.
They imposed the domination of the whites through the apartheid based
on racial discrimination. The inauguration ceremony attracted worldwide
recognition. International leaders and dignitaries from more than 140
countries assembled at the amphitheatre in the Union Buildings in
Pretoria. The whole world hailed it as a common victory for justice, for
peace, for human dignity. The grand struggle of the black patriots
against the most hated regime of apartheid succeeded. There was a
spectacular display of jets and the salute by the bedecked generals with
ribbons to President Mandela. It showed the military’s loyalty to
democracy. The playing of the two national anthems symbolised a new
regime based on equality irrespective of race and colour.

14. Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech used these two

words ‘an extraordinary human disaster’ and so ‘glorious a
human achievement’. What did he mean by that?

Ans. The extraordinary disaster was the rule of Apartheid in South

Africa. This disaster of racial discrimination brought oppression,
deprivation, cruelty and suffering for the black people of South Africa.
Blacks were not allowed to visit the places reserved for the whites. They
led a life of humiliation. At last on 10 May 1994, after more than three
centuries of white rule, Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress
Party won the elections. Nelson Mandela became the first black
President of South Africa. The coming into power of non-racial
government was a glorious human achievement.