South African Gandhian Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela, a true Gandhian adopted democratic methods for achieving
Human Rights, freedom and emancipation of Blacks from the South African
apartheid regime. As a leader, Nelson Mandela can be compared to radical
reformers like Mahatma Gandhi, Garibaldi of Italy and Lenin of Soviet Union who
waged life-long struggles for freedom and human dignity. He led the struggle
against apartheid- the inhuman practice of racial discrimination followed by
rulers in South Africa. Mandela’s relentless crusade fructified in getting
equal rights for Black people who were denied the basic rights to equality,
freedom, human dignity and right to life. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his
life in the prisons of oppressive white rulers. Eventually, the Pretoria
government had to release him in the autumn of 1990. The Indian Government
honored Mandela with Nehru Peace Prize in 1980 and the highest civilian award
Bharat Ratna conferred on him in 1990. Bharat Ratna was conferred on him,
the award so far given to only two foreign nationals and the other one being
Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan- Frontier Gandhi, a freedom fighter during Indian
Freedom Struggle. The Entire world hailed him as a great leader, who launched
constructive revolt for the liberation of the coloured nationals in association
with the African National Congress. The world recognized his struggle for
freedom and awarded Noble Peace Prize to him. Mandela was a symbol of courage
and crusader for human dignity and liberty. Mandela helped for smooth
transition of power in South Africa and avoided bloodshed and hatred. The UNO
celebrates 18th July as Mandela Day.
CHILDHOOD
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela popularly known as Madiba in his homeland was
born on 18th July 1918. His father was chief of Tembu Tribe. As
a young law student, he became involved in political opposition to the white
minority regime. As a boxer, Mandela loved the sport and in his younger years,
he was classed as a heavy-weight. The boy would later be given the English name Nelson by
his school teacher; Mandela was name of his grandfather.
POLITICAL STRUGGLE
Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1942 and
co-founded its more dynamic Youth League in 1944. His father was the chief of
the Thembu tribe and counselor of Thembu king. Mandela has had a first-hand
experience of the atrocities unleashed by the white rulers on the coloured
people. He came to Johannesburg at the age of 22. There, he met an active
revolutionary named Walter Sisulu. He started studying Law. Mandela in
association with Sisulu and Oliver Tambo started an agitation against the white
rule which was crushed by the Pretorian authorities. The 1948 election victory
of the Afrikaner-dominated National Party led to apartheid system of racial
segregation becoming law. Mandela rose to prominence in the ANC's 1952 Defiance
Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People, whose adoption of the Freedom
Charter provided the fundamental programme of the anti-apartheid cause.
Initially committed to non-violent mass struggle and acquitted in the marathon
Treason Trial of 1956-1961, Mandela and his colleagues accepted the case for
armed action after the shooting of unarmed protesters at Sharpeville in March
1960 and the banning of anti-apartheid groups. In 1961, he became the commander
of the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe. In August of the following year, he
was arrested and jailed for five years. In June 1964, he was sentenced again,
this time to life imprisonment, for his involvement in planning armed action.
He started his prison years in the infamous Robben Island Prison, a maximum
security facility on a small island off the coast of Cape Town. In April 1984,
he was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town and in December 1988 he was
moved to the Victor Verster Prison near Paarl from where he was eventually
released.
IMPRISONMENT FOR 27 YEARS
During his incarceration Mandela taught himself to speak Afrikaans and
learned about Afrikaner history. While in prison, Mandela rejected offers made
by his jailers for remission of sentence in exchange for accepting theBantustan
policy by recognising the independence of the Transkei region and
agreeing to settle there.Amongst opponents of apartheid in South Africa
and internationally, he became a cultural symbol of freedom and equality. Mandela
remained in prison until February 1990, when sustained ANC campaigning and
international pressure led to his release. On 2 February 1990,
South African President F.W. de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and
other anti-apartheid organisations. Mandela was released from Victor Verster
Prison on 11 February 1990. He and President de Klerk - who did much to
dismantle the institutions of apartheid - shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
In Mandela's 1994 autobiography, 'Long Walk to Freedom', he did not reveal anything
about the alleged complicity of de Klerk in the violence of the 1980s and 90s,
or the role of his ex-wife Winnie Mandela in that bloodshed. However, he later
discussed those issues in 'Mandela: The Authorised Biography'. While
he was in prison and was invited to negotiate with White regime in February
1985, he stated that “only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into
contracts. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated”.
LIFE AFTER PRISON
After his release, Mandela returned to the leadership of the ANC and,
between 1990 and 1994, led the party in the multi-party negotiations that
resulted in the country's first multi-racial elections. As the first black
president of South Africa (1994 - 1999) he presided over the transition from
minority rule and apartheid. He won praise for his leadership during this time,
even from his former white opponents in South Africa. Following his retirement
as president in 1999, Mandela went on to become an advocate for a variety of
social and human-rights organizations. He used his status as a respected elder
statesman to give weight to pertinent issues. The fight against Aids was one of
Mandela's primary concerns and he used his gravitas to raise awareness about the
issue on the global stage. Having backed the 46664 Aids fundraising campaign,
which was named after his prison number, he went on to call for more openness
in discussing the condition. In 2007, he brought together elder statesmen,
peace activists and human rights advocates including Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter,
Ela Bhatt, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Li Zhaoxing under a non-governmental
organization dubbed The Elders. The aim of the organization was to combine the
elders' collective wisdom and use it to solve some of the world's problems.
Although he spoke out less about issues affecting neighboring country Zimbabwe
in his retirement. His last public outing was during the closing ceremony of
the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg. He started Nelson Mandela foundation
and served the poorest of the poor and needy.
AWARDS
In November 2009, Mandela's contributions to world freedom were rewarded
with a unique gesture by the United Nations General Assembly. In
November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly announced that Mandela’s
birthday, 18 July, is to be known as ‘Mandela Day’ marking his contribution to
world freedom. On 18 July 2012, Mandela's 94th birthday, 12
million schoolchildren across South Africa honored him with a specially
composed song to mark the day. Mandela has won international acclaim for his
sacrifices for the cause of human rights and freedom. In 1980, he was given the
Nehru Peace Prize by India. In 1990, India conferred its highest award the
‘Bharat Ratna’ on him. Nelson Mandela has come to symbolize human struggle
against racial discrimination. East Germany honored him with the ‘Star of
International Friendship’ and Venezuela conferred the ‘Simon Boliver Award’ on
him. He has also been honored with the ‘Sakharov Award’ and the ‘Human Rights
Award’.
Nelson Mandela was a protestor, prisoner and peacemaker. His death on 5th December
2013 has become a celebration of life of fellow human beings on the Earth.
Nelson Mandela changed South Africa and the world. He became a father of a
nation, an international icon, and a legend. He showed that heroes may leave
but their wisdom remains. His compassion, humility, genuine caring, listening
and talk leave an indelible impression on human history.
Nelson Mandela admired Gandhi who started his own freedom struggle in
South Africa in 1890s but he regarded non-violence as a tactic. By the time he
stepped down as the country’s first black President in 1999 in the age of 80,
he was, almost without rival, the most admired person on Earth- seen as a
secular saint, an embodiment of human greatness and an icon of peace and
wisdom. He became the rarest thing in African history, a one term President who
chose not to run for again. Like George Washington, he understood that every
step he made would be template for others to follow. He could have been
President for life, but he knows that democracy, he could not. Two democratic
elections have followed his presidency, and if the men who have succeeded him
have not been his equal, well, that too is democracy. He was a large man in
every way. His legacy is that he expanded human freedom. He was tolerant of
everything but intolerance. Nelson Mandela believed in justice throughout his
life.
The UNO celebrates 18th July as
Mandela Day.
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