CBSE Class 10 English Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Assignment

Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

INTRODUCTION—
The chapter is an extract from Mandela’s autobiography ‘Long Walk to Freedom’. It provides us a glimpse of the early life of Nelson Mandela, his education, thirty years in prison and the pains he had suffered in his young age. It also recounts his fight for the freedom of his own people who were tortured by the whites.

SUMMARY—
The oath taking ceremony of Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa, and his colleagues took place on 10th May. It was a historic occasion. Dignitaries and representatives of 140 countries came to attend it. The ceremony took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre, formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. First, Mr. De Klerk the 2nd Deputy President, then Thabo Mbeki the 1st Deputy President were sworn in. Nelson Mandela took oath as the President. He pledged to obey and uphold the constitution and devote himself to the well-being of the republic and its people.

Then President Mandela addressed the guests. He welcomed and thanked them for having come to take possession with the people of his country for a common victory of justice, peace and human dignity. After getting political freedom, his government pledged to liberate people from the bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discriminations. He wished the sun of freedom to shine on his country forever.

After the ceremony, the display of military force was carried out. Finally, the jets left off smoke trail of different colours, e.g., black, red, green, blue, and golden colour of the new South African flag. In the end,two National Anthems were sung by the whites and the blacks.

Later on that day, Mandela reformed history. In the first decade of the 20th Century, a few years after Anglo-Boer War before his birth, the white skinned patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination against the dark skinned people of South Africa. It was the birth of Apartheid, the harshest in human creation. Now, in the last decade of the 20th century, the system has been overturned forever recognizing the rights of all people irrespective of the colour of their skin or religion. 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 achievement.

It was a reign 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 Chief Luthulis, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes, etc.—men of unparallel courage, wisdom and generosity. Mandela thinks South Africa’s real wealth is her people who are finer, truer than the purest diamonds. His comrades taught him what courage meant.

It is not the absence of fear but victory over it. No one is born to hate another on the basis of colour of skin or religion. If they can learn to hate, then why not learn to love which comes naturally. He believes in the goodness of man that never dies.
Every man has twin obligations, one towards his family and the other towards his people and his country.
In the reign of Apartheid, if one tried to fulfill his duty towards his people, he was ripped off his family and home.

Mandela said he was born free. He had the freedom to run in the fields, swim in the stream and ride on a bull. Boyhood freedom was an illusion. As a student he wanted transitory freedom—freedom to stay out at night, to read books of his choice. As a young man, he yearned for basic honourable freedoms of achieving his potential, of earning, of marrying and having a family. When he became a young man and joined the African National Congress Party, he first wanted freedom only for himself and then for all his people and his country. Both need to be liberated. The oppressor is a prisoner of hatred, prejudice and narrow mindedness. The oppressor and the oppressed, both are robbed of their humanity.

Extract Based Questions 

Read the extract given below carefully and answer the questions that follow :  

1.No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or 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. Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards,perhaps just for a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished. 

Question. What comes more naturally to human heart than any other emotion?
a. hate
b. anxiety
c. love
d. anger
Answer.c. love

Question. According to Mandela, Man’s ___________ is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.
a. goodness
b. kindness
c. smartness
d. understanding
Answer.goodness

Question. Trace a word from the passage that means “Severe”.
a. comrades
b. humanity
c. grimmest
d. extinguished
Answer.grimmest

Question. In the passage man’s goodness is compared to what?
a. hate
b. grimmest
c. humanity
d. flame
Answer. flame 

2.Tenth May dawned bright and clear. For the past few days, I had been pleasantly besieged by dignitaries and world leaders who were coming to pay their respects before the inauguration. The inauguration would be the largest gathering ever of international leaders on South African soil. The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. For decades this had been the seat of white supremacy, and now it was the site of a rainbow gathering of different colours and nations for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.

Question. Which ceremonies is referred in the paragraph?
a. Prize distribution
b. Installation
c. Inauguration
d. Republic Day
Answer.c. Inauguration

Question. When was the installation day of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government?
a. 10th June
b. 10th August
c. 10th April
d. 10th May
Answer. d. 10th May 

Question. Where did the ceremonies take place ?
a. Open ground
b. President house
c. Lovely Sandstone amphitheatre
d. Stadium
Answer.c. Lovely Sandstone amphitheatre

Question. Which word in the passage means the same as ‘Placement of person in office with ceremony’ ?
a. installation
b. inauguration
c. gathering
d. None
Answer.a. Installation

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. What pained Nelson Mandela on becoming the President of South Africa ?
Answer. Mandela was pained by his inability to thank his comrades who were unable to see what their sacrifices had brought. He remembered the suffering and courage of thousand of patriots, who fought for the same cause.

Question. Why is 10th May, 1994 important for South Africa ?
Answer. 10th May, 1994 is important for South Africa as the inaugural oath taking ceremony of Nelson Mandela and his colleagues took place on that day. Nelson Mandela became the first black President of South Africa after three centuries of white rule.

Question. What did ‘being free’ mean to Mandela as a boy and as a student ?
Answer. As a boy ‘being free’, meant to Nelson Mandela to wander free in fields, to swim freely, and to run through the village. As a student-to stay out at night, to read what he pleased and to go wherever he chose was ‘being free’.

Question. How does Nelson Mandela define the meaning of ‘courage’ and ‘the brave man’ ?
Answer. According to Nelson Mandela, courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. In the same way,the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. How did Nelson Mandela describe the scene of the inauguration ?
Answer.The oath taking ceremony of Nelson Mandela was a historic occasion. Dignitaries and representatives of 140 countries came to attend it. The ceremony took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre. He had gone there with his daughter Zenani. First, Mr. De Klark the 2nd Deputy President, then after Thabo Mbeki the 1st Deputy President were sworn in. Nelson Mandela took the oath as the President. He pledged to obey and uphold constitution and devaote himself to the well-being of the republic and its people. After the ceremony, the display of military force was carried out. Finally, the jets left off smoke trails of different colours e.g. black, red, green, blue and golden which were the colours of the New South African flag. In the end, two National Anthems were sung by the whites and the blacks. It was a jubliant moment for him.