02. Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

 SUMMARY

Nelson Mandela became South Africa‘s first Black President after more than three centuries of White rule. Mandela had spent a life time fight against "apartheid". He had spent thirty years in prison fighting for the democratic rights of the Black and Coloured people of South Africa. Mr. Mandela‘s African National Congress (ANC) party won 252 of the 400 seats in the first democratic elections of South Africa‘s history.

In this extract from his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela speaks about a historic occasion,"the inauguration on 10th May 1994". The inauguration ceremony took place in the Union Building‘s amphitheater in Pretoria, attended by politicians and dignitaries from more than 140 countries around the world.

Oral Comprehension Check   (pg. 18)

Q1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?

Ans – The ceremony took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheater formed by the Union building in Pretoria. There are many public buildings in India that are made from sandstone like Red Fort Delhi, president's house and many more.

Q2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?

Ans – South Africa is in the southern hemisphere and seasons come first over there and then in India. So due to it 10 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 – He means the suffering and deprivations the people of Africa suffered due to racial discrimination which lasted very long.

At the end of his speech she said the glorious human achievement.  It means after a long time South African black people got the opportunity to conduct the first democratic elections in their country.

Q4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?

Ans – Mandela thanks the international leaders for coming to take possession with the people of South Africa over their common victory for justice, peace, and human dignity.

Q5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?

Ans – Mr. Mandela pledge to liberate the of Arica from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.

Oral Comprehension Check     (pg. 21)

Q1. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?

Ans – The military generals saluted and pledged their loyalty in the front of Mandela. On this Mandela said that he was not unmindful of the fact that not so many years before they would not have saluted but arrested him.

Q2. Why were two national anthems sung?

Ans – The the ceremony two national anthems were sung in order to show the vision of white and blacks people of South Africa. 

Q3. 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?

Ans – Mandela describe the systems of government in his country as the following

(i) In the first decade of the twentieth century, the white people of South Africa patched up their differences and erected a system of racial dominance against the dark skinned people of their own Country.

(ii) In the final or the last decade of the twentieth century, that system had been overturned and replace by one that recognised the rights and freedoms of all the people regardless of the colour of their skin.

Q4. What does courage mean to Mandela?

Ans – According to Mandela courage mean not the absence of fear but triumph over it.

Q5. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?

Ans – Mr. Mandela thinks that love comes more naturally than to hate.

Oral Comprehension Check      (pg. 24)

Q1. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?

Ans – Mr. Mandela said in life, every man has twin obligations — obligation to his family, to his parents, two his wife and children and he has also an obligation to his people, to his country and to his community 

Q2. 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 – As a boy, Mandela felt freedom to run in the fields near his mother's hut, freedom to swim in the clear stream that flowed across near his village, freedom to roast mealies in the shade of stars and freedom to ride on the broad back of slow-moving bulls.

As a student he felt that freedom is what he got for himself to roam around at night, to read books of his own choice and to go to the place of his choice.

According to Mandela, 'Transitory freedom' is what lasts for a small duration such as those mentioned during his childhood and his student life. For him transitory freedom was of being able to stay out at night, read what he pleased, etc. Mandela as a young man, realised "the basic and honourable freedom" for achieving his potentials for earning his keep, for marrying and having a family.

Q3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?

Ans – According to Mandela, the oppressor is also not free because the 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 just like the oppressed. Both have been 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 because they had come to witness the formation of the first ever democratic, non-racial government in South Africa after almost three centuries of white-skinned rule. It signified the triumph of victory of humanity and democracy.

Q2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?

Ans – Mandela said that he is simply the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before him because the day of independence had come through the unimaginable sacrifices of thousands of his people, whose suffering and courage could never be counted or repaid. Today they were not there to see what they had done and helped achieve.

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 – Yes, there is no doubt that the depths of oppression create the heights of character from decades of oppression emerged men like Yusuf Dadoos, Bram Fischers, Robert Sobuk was the great freedom fighters of South Africa had extra ordinary courage, wisdom and generosity and because of those traits these people were able to bear the depths of oppression of the rulers. Strong character produces strong men who are strong mentally.

Subash Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, Chandrasekhar Azad, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Bhagat Singh, etc. were such people who bear strong character. They were able to bear the depths of oppression.

Q4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?

Ans – For Mandela as a boy, freedom meant to run freely in the nearby fields, to ride on the broad backs of the slow-moving bulls, to swim in the clear stream that ran through his village or to see stars at night. As he grew young, freedom meant only to be free for himself, that is roam around freely at night, to read the books he liked and to go to the place of his choice. As a young man he wanted freedom of achieving his potential, of earning his keep, of marrying and having a family. But slowly with age and experience he realised that not only was he not free but his people were not free. He found that their freedom was curtailed. He realised that freedom is indivisible - the chains on anyone of his people were chains on him. Thus, his scope and concept of freedom widened.

Q5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?

Ans – Mandela's hunger for his own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of his people. The desire for the freedom of his people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect animated his life, it transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, it drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, it turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home, it forced a life loving man to live like a monk. Mandela was no more virtuous or self-sacrificing but he could not even enjoy the poor and limited freedom he was allowed when he knew that his people were not free. He felt the chains on his people on himself.

Thinking About Language

I. 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.

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

Noun                     Verb

rebellion              rebel

Constitution        constitute

Ans –

Noun                    Verb

Formation            Form

Oppressor            Oppress

Gathering             Gather

Government        Govern

Imagination         Imagine

Inauguration       Inaugurate

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.

Ans –

(i) — Contribution

(ii) — Assistance

(iii) — Subjugation

(iv) — Humiliation

(v) — Imprisonment

(vi) — Resistance 

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's .) But now look at this sentence from the text:

… the decades of oppression and brutality … produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulu's, … 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’.)

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

Ans –

1. Many other person like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are invited.

2. Madhuri Dixit is similar to Madhubala

3. History is the story of many such people like Alexander, Napoleon and Hitler whose names may not be as well- known.

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.)

Ans –

A                             B

1. — (i)   had not forgot–ten, was
                aware of the fact

2. — (ii)  felt that we could not
                endure the suffering any
                longer

3. — (iii) help me continue to live
                in hope in this very
               difficult situation

4. — (iv) 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.

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.

1. It requires such depths of oppression ___________________________

2. Courage was not the absence of fear ___________________________

3. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid ________________________

4. If people can learn to hate ___________________________

5. I was not born with a hunger to be free. ________________________

Ans – 

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.