WASHINGTON: Students graduating from the Columbia Business school MBA class of 2005 may have expected some fizz in a commencement speech by Pepsico president Indra Nooyi, an Indian-American acclaimed as one of the most powerful corporate executives in America and a putative CEO of the soft drink giant.
But a political critique of the United States in course of her remarks has left conservatives frothing and stoked some anti-immigrant sentiments.
In her address last Sunday, the Chennai born Nooyi compared the five major continents of the world to the five fingers of the human hand.
First was Africa - the pinky finger - small and somewhat insignificant but when hurt, the entire hand hurt with it. Next was Asia -the thumb - strong and powerful, yearning to become a bigger player on the world stage.
Third was Europe - the index finger - pointing the way. Fourth was South America -the ring finger -the finger which symbolises love and sensualness.
According to some students who were present at the graduation ceremony and who fired up the issue in the blogosphere, Nooyi then reserved the remaining finger for the United States (and not North America, they say), launching into "a diatribe about how the US is seen as the middle finger to the rest of the world."
They say she then went on to make "condescending" remarks about America's role in the world and how it is "our responsibility to change the current state of world opinion of the US and make the other fingers rise in unison with us as we move forward."
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