Biography of Nelson Mandela
In the past,
friends, all facilities were separated based on color. Whether it was a bus
seat or any facility available in public places, everywhere, based on colour,
whites got the best service and blacks got the worst service. Though its effect
was a little or more in almost every country, in South Africa, it was too much.
Three-fourths of the total population there were black people, and the economy
of their country was run based on their hard work, but all the good facilities
were available to white people.
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Biography of Nelson Mandela |
Though
discrimination regarding colour was there in South Africa for a long time, the
National Party government made a rule in 1948 that black and white people would
live in separate places, and all facilities were also divided according to
their colour, but good has always won over evil. Nelson Mandela's struggles got
this apartheid rule abolished, after which everyone started getting equal
rights, but it was not so easy. For this, Mandela had to spend almost 28 years
of his life in jail.
Mandela was
also a follower of Gandhiji's path. He was a human being; he did this work
without lifting arms and without shedding blood. Friends, let us know about him
in detail from the beginning. Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in Mve
Ajo village of South Africa. His mother's name was Nos Kenny, and his father's
name was Getla Henry. Nelson Mandela's family had given him the name Roli Hala,
which means mischievous, when he was born, but the schoolteacher changed it to
Nelson.
Mandela
completed his early education at the Clark Berry Missionary School. When
Mandela was twelve years old, his father passed away, but his joint family
never allowed him to feel his father's absence and continued to support him as
he pursued his education. Because Nelson was the only member of the whole
family who went to school. His graduation was done in Held Town College. Held
Town was a college specially made for black people. In this college, Mandela
met Liver, who remained his friend throughout his life and always supported him
in the fight against apartheid. From that time itself he had started fighting
against discrimination against black people and started gathering people, due
to which he was also expelled from college.
In 1944, he
joined the African National Congress, which had already started a movement
against apartheid. Then, in 1947, he was elected the secretary of that party.
Now, gradually, many people had joined him and were moving towards their goal,
but in 1961, a case of treason was filed against Mandela and some of his
friends, and they were imprisoned. However, later he was considered innocent
and he was released, but again on 5 August 1962, he was arrested on the charge
of inciting the workers to strike, and after the case was on for about two
years, on 12 July 1964, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. For the
punishment, he was sent to the most tightly secured prison, but even after that,
his courage did not wane.
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Biography of Nelson Mandela |
He started reminding the black prisoners of
their rights even in jail. On the other hand, his party also released him. They
tried their best to free him, but failed, and Nelson Mandela remained
imprisoned in that cell for 27 years. Finally, in 1989, the government changed
in South Africa, and liberal leader F.W. Clarke became the President of the
country. Seeing the struggle of Nelson and his party, he removed all the
restrictions imposed on black people and decided to release all those prisoners
who were not facing any major criminal cases, like bloodshed. In this way, on 1
February 1990, the sun of freedom rose in the evening of Mandela's life, and he
was released from jail. After that, in 1994, presidential elections were held
in South Africa. In this election, black people could also participate.
Mandela
participated in this election and his party African National Congress, formed
the government with a majority. On 10 May 1994, Mandela became the first black
President of his country and made all the remaining rights equal for all white
and black people. To a great extent, Nelson Mandela, like Mahatma Gandhi, was a
supporter of the non-violent path.
He considered
Gandhi as his source of inspiration, which is why he is also called African
Gandhi. In 1990, Nelson Mandela also received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest
honor. He received this honor as the second foreign recipient. Mother Teresa
received this award earlier in 1980. After that, in 1993, he was awarded the
world's biggest peace award, the Nobel Prize.
Friends,
Mandela fought against apartheid all his life, and after gaining the rights of
blacks in South Africa, he said goodbye to this world on 5 December 2013 at the
age of 95. Mandela once said that a person finds peace in his work when he
views serving his nation and its citizens as his duty. I believe I've tried
that, which is why I'm able to sleep soundly through the night.
To read more
about such great leaders, visit our website.
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