NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Chapter 2 Long Walk To Freedom

NCERT Solutions for class 10 from book First Flight Chapter 2 Long Walk To Freedom

3. 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 known.
(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.

4. What does courage mean to Mandela?
Answer
For Mandela courage does not mean the absence of fear but a victory over fear. According to him brave men need not be fearless but should be able to conquer fear.

5. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?
Answer 
For Mandela, love comes more naturally to the human heart than hate.

Oral Comprehension Check 

1. 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.

2. 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 
Like any other kid for Mandela also the freedom meant a freedom to make merry and enjoy the blissful life. Once anybody becomes an adult then antics of childhood looks like transitory because most of the childish activity is wasteful from an adult’s perspective. Once you are adult then someday you have to earn a livelihood to bring the bacon home, then only you get an honourable existence in the family and in the society.

3. 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.

Thinking about the Text 

1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?
Answer 
The presence of large number of international leaders was a gesture of solidarity from international community to the idea of the end of apartheid. It signified the triumph of good over evil, the triumph of the idea of a tolerant society without any discrimination.

2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?
Answer 
Mandela wants to pay his tribute to all the people who had sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. he feels that he is the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before him because those heroes of yesterday years had paved the path of co-operation and unity for him. Therefore, he got the support of his people to be able to come to power to bring equality for his own people. 

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”. Nelson Mandela illustrates this by giving examples of great heroes of South Africa who sacrificed their lives in the long freedom struggle. India is full of such examples. During our freedom struggle there was a galaxy of leaders of great characters. Probably the oppression of British rule created so many men of such characters. If we compare this with the quality of political leaders India is having today, then Nelson Mandela seems to be absolutely right.

4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
Answer 
With age Nelson Mandela realised that he had a lot of responsibilities of his people, his community and his country. 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.

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.

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 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.
 

Answer

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 Lither 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.

II. 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.
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.

III. Match, the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest meaning in Column B. (Hint: First look for the sentence in the text which the phrase in column A occurs.)

Short Answer Type Question

1. where did the ceremonies take place? What was the location?
Answer
On 10 May 1994, a new nation was born. It was the day Nelson Mandela would be sworn in as President . It was an oath taking ceremony. 10th May marked the installation of the South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government. The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre formed by the union buildings in Pretoria, South Africa.

2. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mention “an extraordinary human disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is “glorious… human achievement” he speaks of at the end?
Answer
South Africa had been colonised by the Britishers and was forced to deal with Apartheid , a political system that separates people according to their race. In the system, blacks were treated as inferior, as people who had no dignity. They were treated as sub-humans. The “glorious human achievement” refers to their political emancipation. They now had freedom from any kind of restriction and could live with self-respect. They had achieved this through a long struggle.

3. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?
Answer
The new freely and fairly elected government pledged to liberate all their people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination. They placed that Africa would never experience the operation of any other oppression of any other. They knew that the future would be bright and no dark times will prevail. Freedom will rain and Africa will remain blessed.

4. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?
Answer
The military generals of the South African defence force and police saluted Nanson Mandela and pledged their loyalty. Their chest were bedecked with ribbons and medals from days gone by. Their attitude had changed with respect to the fact that they would have arrested Nelson Mandela not so many years ago because of Apartheid . Now, they were saluting him. This was because Mandela was now the President of South Africa and they were subject to him.

5. how does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country
(i) in the first decade .
(ii) in the twentieth century.
Answer
In the first decade of the 20th century, the white skinned people passed their differences and constructed a system of racial discrimination against the dark skinned people of their land. The structure they created formed the basis of the harshest, most in human societies one has known -apartheid.
In the 20th century the apartheid system had been overturned forever and replaced by a new system, one that recognised the rights and freedoms of all peoples, regardless of the colour of their skin. Now, people of colour would not be discriminated against.

6. what does courage mean to Mandela?
Answer
Mandela had learned the true meaning of courage from his comrades. For him, courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it . The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. He saw his people stand up to attacks and torture without breaking, show strength and resilience that defies the imagination.

7. what does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of African patriots” who had gone before him?
Answer
On the day of the oath taking ceremony, Mandela felt that he was a simply the sum of the African patriots that had gone before him. He knew that what he had achieved today would not be possible without the innumerable sacrifices of thousands of his people. He had learnt a lot from his comrades and it was through these learnings that he was able to stand where he was. That long and noble line of African Patriots ended and now began again with him. He was pained that the patriots were not alive to see what their sacrifices has brought.

8. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mentions?
Answer
Mandela mention that every man has twin -two-obligations. He had to fulfil both of them. Firstly, he has an obligation to his family, his parents, his wife and his children. Secondly he has an obligation to his people, his community and to his country. In a civil and humane society, each man is able to fulfil these obligations according to his choice and capabilities.
However, in South Africa, it was almost impossible for a person of colour like him to fulfil these obligations. Such people were punished and isolated. A man who tried to fulfil his duty towards his people was inevitably ripped from his family and forced to live a life apart.

9. what did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student. How does he contrast this “transitory freedoms” with “the basic honourable freedoms”?
How did Mandela‘s understanding of freedom change with experience?
Answer
as a young boy, he was free in every way he knew, he could run in the fields, swim in the clear stream, roast mealies and ride the bats of bulls. As long as he orbit his father and the customs of his tribe, he was not troubled by the laws of man or God.
As a teenager, he wanted freedom for himself only. His idea of freedom were certain transitory freedoms – being able to stay out at night, read what he pleased and go wherever he chose.
as a young man in Johannesburg, he realised that his freedom had already been taken away from him, and his boyhood freedom was just an illusion. He yearned for the basic honourable freedoms – achieving his potential, earning his keep, marrying and having a family. It was then that he realised – freedom had been taken away from All the people office kind and he began to hunger for it.

10. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why or why not? What is he prisoner of?
Answer
No, Mandela think the oppressor is a prisoner just like the oppressed. The oppressor must also be liberated as the oppressed. A 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 feels that if someone it taking away another’s freedom, he is not truly free. His mind is not normal, for as mind that can think of doing cruel things to fellow human being needs help as well. The oppresser and the oppressed alike are robbed of their humanity.

11. how did Mandela‘s “hunger for freedom” change his life?
Answer
Mandela, a young man, realised that the freedom of all people of colour was curtailed. This created in him a hunger that led him to join the African national congress. His desire to give his people a life of dignity and self-respect was what animated his life. It turned a frightened young man into a bold one, drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, turned a family loving husband into a man without a home, and forced a life loving man to live like a monk. He knew he could never enjoy the poor and limited freedoms when his people were not free.

12 Would you agree that “depths of repression” create “heights of character”? How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to the argument?
Answer
this is a reference to the chapter “ Long walk to freedom “ by Nelson Mandela. It is about the freedom struggle of South Africa and what is the people had to bear.Yes, I agree that it requires deaths of repression to create heights of character.
Apartheid was a cruel and inhumane system, one which repressed the people of colour indiscriminately, one which creates created profound hurt among the people, which will take years to recover from. However, it reduced men of great character – the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus and many more full of courage, wisdom and generosity so much so that there like may never be known again. These men and women showed commendable strength and resilience, even when subjected to attacks and torture. South Africa is well-known for its mineral resources, but its greatest wealth is its people, finer than the purest diamonds .