Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Class 10 important questions with answers PDF download
In chapter 2 of the Class 10 English Syllabus from the First Flight textbook, students learn about the life of Nelson Mandela and his fight for freedom in South Africa. The chapter talks about his journey from a boy who thought he was free to a man who realised that true freedom was for all people, not just himself. The chapter shows his courage, his struggle against the unfair system of apartheid, and his hope for a better future.
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FAQs on CBSE Important Questions for Class 10 English Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - 2025-26
1. For the CBSE Class 10 board exam, what is the significance of the inauguration ceremony taking place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria?
The inauguration ceremony taking place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria was highly significant because this location had long been the seat of white supremacy in South Africa. For Nelson Mandela, holding the ceremony there symbolised the reclaiming of the space for all people. It marked the end of apartheid and the establishment of the country's first democratic, non-racial government on soil that previously represented oppression.
2. In 'Long Walk to Freedom', what does Nelson Mandela mean by the “twin obligations” every person has?
Nelson Mandela refers to the two fundamental duties each person has in life. As per the text for the 2025-26 syllabus, these are:
- Obligation to family: This includes one's duty to their parents, wife, and children.
- Obligation to the people: This includes one's duty to their community and country.
3. Explain what Mandela meant by “an extraordinary human disaster” in his inauguration speech.
When Nelson Mandela refers to “an extraordinary human disaster,” he is describing the brutal and oppressive system of apartheid in South Africa. This system of racial segregation and discrimination lasted for many decades, causing immense suffering, division, and denying basic human rights to the majority black population. It is termed a 'disaster' because of the deep and lasting wound it inflicted on the people and the nation's social fabric.
4. How is courage defined by Nelson Mandela in this chapter? Is it the absence of fear?
For Mandela, courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. He learned this from his comrades in the struggle who risked and sacrificed their lives. He defines a brave man not as someone who does not feel afraid, but as someone who conquers that fear. This is a crucial concept for a 3-mark question in the board exams.
5. Why were two national anthems sung at the inauguration ceremony?
Two national anthems were sung to symbolise the end of apartheid and the beginning of a new, united South Africa. ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika’, the anthem of the black population, and ‘Die Stem’, the old anthem of the white republic, were sung together. This act represented the reconciliation and equality between the two communities, who were now building a shared future where neither group would be considered superior.
6. From an exam perspective, what change in the attitude of the military generals was observed by Mandela?
Mandela observed a significant change in the attitude of South Africa’s military generals. On the day of the inauguration, these high-ranking officials, whose chests were decorated with ribbons and medals, saluted him and pledged their loyalty to the new democratic government. Mandela notes the irony that these same generals would have arrested him just a few years prior. This change symbolised the military's acceptance of the new, non-racial government and the rule of law.
7. What ideals for the future of South Africa did Mandela set out in his speech?
In his inauguration speech, Nelson Mandela pledged to build a society free from injustice and discrimination. He set out the following key ideals for the future:
- Liberating all South Africans from the bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, and gender and other discrimination.
- Ensuring that the land would never again experience the oppression of one group by another.
- Committing to a future where justice, peace, and human dignity would prevail for all citizens.
8. Why does Mandela believe that both the oppressor and the oppressed must be liberated?
This is a higher-order thinking (HOTS) question. Mandela believes that oppression harms both the oppressed and the oppressor. The oppressed is robbed of their freedom and humanity. However, the oppressor is also not free; they are a prisoner of hatred, locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. True freedom, in Mandela's view, can only be achieved when both are liberated from these chains, as a person who takes away another's freedom is as much a victim as the one whose freedom is taken.
9. How does Mandela's understanding of freedom change throughout his life?
Mandela's understanding of freedom evolved significantly:
- As a boy: Freedom meant simple, personal joys like running in the fields, swimming, and roasting mealies.
- As a young student: Freedom was the personal liberty to stay out at night, read what he liked, and go where he chose.
- As a young man: It became about achieving his potential, earning his keep, marrying, and having a family—a basic, honourable freedom.
- As a leader: He realised his personal freedom was inseparable from the freedom of his community. True freedom, he understood, was the indivisible freedom for all his people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect.
10. Explain how the policy of apartheid, while creating immense suffering, also produced an unintended positive effect.
Mandela reflects that the decades of brutality and oppression under apartheid, while creating a deep and lasting wound, had an unintended effect: it produced men of extraordinary courage, wisdom, and generosity. He mentions leaders like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, and Chief Luthuli. He suggests that such great heights of character are often forged in the fires of extreme oppression, just as minerals of great value are extracted from deep within the earth.
11. “Freedom is indivisible.” Analyse the importance of this statement in the context of the chapter.
When Mandela says “freedom is indivisible,” he means that the freedom of an individual cannot be separated from the freedom of their entire community. He explains that the chains on any one of his people were the chains on all of them, and the chains on all his people were chains on him. This realisation was a turning point, transforming him from a man seeking personal freedom to a leader fighting for the collective freedom of all South Africans, both black and white. It highlights the interconnectedness of human dignity and liberty.
