Nelson Mandela
1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?
Ans: The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheater formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. In India, famous public buildings made of sandstone include the Red Fort, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan).
2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?
Ans: Geographically, South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, May falls in the autumn season there. Symbolically, it was an “autumn day” because it marked the falling away of the old, “withered” regime of Apartheid and the birth of a new, vibrant democratic nation.
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?
Ans: The “extraordinary human disaster” refers to the system of Apartheid, the state-sponsored racial discrimination where the white minority oppressed the black majority for decades. The “glorious human achievement” is the establishment of South Africa’s first non-racial, democratic government, where a black man became President in a land that previously denied him basic human rights.
4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?
Ans: Mandela thanks the international leaders for coming to witness the inauguration, as it signified international recognition of a free South Africa. Their presence turned a local victory into a common victory for justice, peace, and human dignity, ending South Africa’s status as an international “outlaw.”
5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?
Ans: Mandela pledges to liberate all his people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other forms of discrimination. He envisions a beautiful land where “never, never, and never again” shall one group oppress another.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?
Ans: The highest military and police generals saluted Mandela and pledged their loyalty. Years before, these same men would not have saluted him but arrested him as a criminal or terrorist. Their attitude changed because the political system had shifted from white supremacy to a democracy that recognized Mandela as the legitimate Head of State.
2. Why were two national anthems sung?
Ans: Two national anthems—the white “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” and the black “Die Stem”—were sung to symbolize unity and equality. It was a powerful gesture showing that both races were now part of one integrated nation.
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?
Ans: * (i) First Decade: The white-skinned people patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination known as Apartheid, creating one of the harshest, most inhumane societies the world had ever known.
- (ii) Final Decade: The previous system was overturned forever and replaced by one that recognized the rights and freedoms of all people, regardless of the color of their skin.
4. What does courage mean to Mandela?
Ans: To Mandela, courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. He believes that the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
5. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?
Ans: Mandela believes that love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite (hate). He argues that if people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.
Part 3: Oral Comprehension Check
1. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
Ans: Mandela mentions that every man has twin obligations: first, to his family (parents, wife, and children); and second, to his people, community, and 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”?
Ans: As a boy, freedom meant running in the fields and swimming in the stream. As a student, it meant “transitory” freedoms like being able to stay out at night or read what he pleased. He contrasts these with “basic and honourable freedoms”—the potential to achieve one’s goals, earn a living, marry, and have a family—which were denied to black people under Apartheid.
3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?
Ans: No, Mandela believes the oppressor is not free. He describes an oppressor as a “prisoner of hatred” locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Both the oppressed and the oppressor are alike robbed of their humanity.
Part 4: Thinking about the Text
1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?
Ans: They attended to show solidarity with South Africa’s transition to democracy. It signified a triumph of humanity over racism and a victory for justice and peace after decades of global isolation.
2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?
Ans: He is acknowledging that the path to freedom was paved by the sacrifices of thousands of others. He felt he was carrying the baton they had passed, and he was pained that he could not thank them or show them what their sacrifices had achieved.
3. Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”? How does Mandela illustrate this?
Ans: Yes, Mandela illustrates this by mentioning leaders like Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, whose extraordinary courage and wisdom were forged in the fires of the brutal Apartheid struggle. Just as diamonds require great pressure to form, great characters are often produced by great hardship.
4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
Ans: Mandela’s view evolved from personal freedom (as a child) to social freedom (as a student) and finally to political freedom for his entire race. He realized that his own freedom was meaningless if his brothers and sisters were still in chains.
5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?
Ans: It transformed him from a frightened young man into a bold one, from a law-abiding attorney into a “criminal” in the eyes of the law, and from a family-loving husband into a man forced to live like a monk in hiding. It drove him to join the African National Congress (ANC) and dedicate his life to the struggle.