NCERT Solutions for Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Class 10 First Flight English
Book Solutions1
Where did the ceremonies take place ? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone ?
Answer
The ceremonies took place in the campus of the Union Building of Pretoria, which were attended by dignitaries and leaders of many nations. In India; Rashtrapati Bhavan and Red Fort are buildings made of red sandstone.2
Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa ?
Answer
10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa because on this day there was the largest gathering of international leaders on South African soil for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.
3
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 ?
Answer
By human disaster Mandela means to say that coloured people have suffered a lot due to discrimination in the hands of whites. He considered it as great glorious human achievement that a black person became the president of a country where the blacks are not considered as human being and are treated badly.
4
What does Mandela thank the international leaders for ?
Answer
Mandela thanked all the distinguished international guests who had come to attend the grand oath taking ceremony of Nelson Mandela. He was being sworn in as the first black President of South Africa. He showed his gratitude to them because they were present there to praise Mandela for his courage, determination, and patience, to celebrate the emancipation and to support the fight against the system of apartheid.
5
What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa ?
Answer
He sets the ideals for liberating all his people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.
1
What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?
Answer
The highest military generals of the South African defense force and police saluted Nelson Mandela and pledged their loyalty to their new President and his new government that had been freely and fairly elected. The change in their attitude was of great magnitude for him because instead of arresting a black, they were saluting him.
2
Why were two national anthems sung ?
Answer
On the day of the inauguration, two national anthems were sung, Nkosi Sikelel - iAfrika by the Whites, and Die Stem by the Blacks as a symbol of equality between blacks and whites. Mandela wanted to bring an end to the racial discrimination.
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, a few years after the bitter Anglo-Boer war and before Mandela's own birth, 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. The structure they created formed the basis of one of the harshest and most inhumane societies the world has 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 freedom of all people, regardless of the colour of their skin.
4
What does courage mean to Mandela?
Answer
Mandela understands that courage does not mean the absence of fear but a victory over it. According to him, brave men should not be fearless but should be able to conquer fear.
5
Answer
Mandela thinks that love comes more naturally to the human heart than hate. According to him, people must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.
1
What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention ?
Answer
Mandela mentions that every man has twin obligations. The first obligation is towards his family, parents, wife and children; the second obligation is towards 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
Freedom to Mandela as a boy and as a student meant a freedom only for himself and to enjoy the blissful life. Once we become an adult then antics of childhood appear transitory because most of the childish activity is wasteful from an adult's perspective. Once a person is an adult then he wants to earn a livelihood and get married to have a family to get an honourable existence in the family and in the society.
3
Does Mandela think the oppressor is free ? Why/Why not ?
Answer
Mandela thinks that the oppressor is not free because a man who takes away other's freedom is a prisoner of hatred. According to Mandela, neither the oppressor nor the oppressed is free. They both are robbed of their humanity.
1
Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of ?
Answer
A large number of international leaders attended the inauguration in order to show a gesture of unity to the first democratic non-racial government in South Africa. It was the end of apartheid rule of the whites which signified the victory of humanity. It was a big achievement for a tolerant society over the evil treatment by the Whites.
2
What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him ?
Answer
By saying that he is simply the sum of all those African patriots, he wants to say that he is grateful to all those African freedom fighters who had lost their lives and had gone before him in the struggle for freedom. This is because he considers that he was not all alone on the path of freedom but his heart is filled with gratitude for the heroes of the past who had drawn the path of cooperation and unity for him. Hence, he succeeded in getting equality for his people with their support.
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, it is true that the depths of oppression create heights of character. This is very much prominent from the examples shared by Nelson Mandela of the great heroes of South Africa such as Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chief Luthuli, Yusuf Dadoo, and Bram Fischer who sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. Yes, we can add numerous names of the great leaders from the history of India. Indian history is full of such examples like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru and many more.
4
How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience ?
Answer
Mandela's understanding of freedom changed with age and experience, when he was a boy, he thought that freedom meant to run freely in the fields and to swim in the stream. As he grew older, freedom to raise a family and freedom to earn livelihood started dominating his thoughts. Later he realized that whatever he thought about freedom was an illusion as with age and experience he understood the real meaning of freedom and interpreted from the condition of his people that it was not just his freedom but the freedom of all the black Africans which had been taken away. This made him determined to get the real freedom of his people.
5
How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?
Answer
Mandela was not born with a hunger to be free. Mandela began to be hungry for freedom when as a youngman, he discovered that his freedom had already been taken away from him. But slowly his hunger for freedom changed his life when he realized that it was not just his freedom that was being trimmed, but the freedom of all the blacks of South Africa. This is because he sacrificed the comforts of a settled family and joined African National Congress to fight against racial prejudice.
1
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.
Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.
|
Noun |
Verb |
|
rebellion |
rebel |
|
constitution |
constitute |
Answer
|
Noun
|
Verb
|
|
Rebellion
|
Rebel
|
|
Constitution
|
Constitute
|
|
Formation
|
Form
|
|
Government
|
Govern
|
|
Obligation
|
Oblige
|
|
Transformation
|
Transform
|
|
Discrimination
|
Discriminate
|
|
Deprivation
|
Deprive
|
|
Demonstration
|
Demonstrate
|
|
Oppression
|
Oppress
|
|
Imagination
|
Imagine
|
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
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.)
|
A |
|
B |
|
|
1. |
I was not unmindful of the fact. |
(i) |
had not forgotten: was aware of the fact |
|
|
|
(ii) |
was not careful about the fact |
|
|
|
(iii) |
forgot or was not aware of the fact |
|
2. |
When my comrades and I were pushed to our limits |
(i) |
pushed by the guards to the wall |
|
|
|
(ii) |
took more than our share of beatings |
|
|
|
(iii) |
felt that we could not endure the suffering any longer |
|
3. |
To reassure me and keep me going |
(i) |
make me go on walking |
|
|
|
(ii) |
help me continue to live in hope in this very difficult situation |
|
|
|
(iii) |
make me remain without complaining |
|
4. |
The basic and honourable freedoms of … earning my keep… |
(i) |
earning enough money to live on |
|
|
(ii) |
keeping what I earned |
|
|
|
(iii) |
getting a good salary |
Answer
|
A
|
B
|
||
| 1. | I was not unmindful of the fact | (i) | had not forgotten; was aware of the fact |
| 2. | When my comrades and I were pushed to our limits | (iii) | felt that we could not endure the suffering any longer |
| 3. | To reassure me and keep me going | (ii) | help me continue to live in hope in this very difficult situation |
| 4. | The basic and honourable freedoms of … earning my keep… | (i) | earning enough money to live on |