NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 2 Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

Short Note:

• This chapter is an excerpt from Nelson Mandela's autobiography, describing the historic day of his inauguration as the first democratically elected President of South Africa in 1994.

• Mandela reflects on the significance of this moment, describing the presence of world leaders and the pride of South Africans finally living in a free, democratic nation after decades of apartheid.

• He recalls the painful history of apartheid, a system of institutionalised racial segregation that denied basic rights and dignity to the black population of South Africa.

Short Note:

• Mandela describes the twin obligations every individual carries: one to family and community, and one to the country and its people, emphasising service to the nation as the highest calling.

• He explains that true freedom is not just for the oppressed but must also liberate the oppressor, since both are diminished by injustice, and hatred only imprisons the hater as well as the hated.

• He describes his long walk to freedom as an ongoing journey, noting that gaining freedom only reveals further responsibilities and that there are still many more hills to climb.

Short Note:

• The chapter's central theme is the struggle against injustice and the pursuit of freedom, dignity and equality for all people regardless of race.

• It emphasises courage, sacrifice, and the idea that true liberation must free both the oppressed and the oppressor from the chains of hatred and prejudice.

• Mandela's message inspires readers to see freedom not as a final destination but as a continuous journey of responsibility and progress.