US downgrade: Deven Sharma becomes an instant hero & villain in cyberspace-Aug 10, 2011

US downgrade: Deven Sharma becomes an instant hero & villain in cyberspace/TCS, Infosys, HCL and other Indian IT cos to suffer as angry America wants its jobs back
US ratings downgrade: IT sector could face difficult times

Surojit GuptaSurojit Gupta, TNN | Aug 10, 2011, 12.58AM IST


NEW DELHI: Deven Sharma, the man who downgraded US debt has emerged as an instant hero for Indians and the expatriate Indian community on social networking sites but is also facing a volley of hate messages for "destroying the global economy."

Sharma, president of ratings agency Standard & Poor's, was one of the key players behind the historic downgrade which has rattled global markets and triggered talks of a prolonged global economic slowdown. A page on Sharma has appeared on Facebook and it is getting a steady stream of messages from proud Indians. " Expect the Unexpected" read the caption of a wall photo on the Facebook page.

"You will be a big contributor, if the US is able to reduce massive debt...the world is going to benefit from it in the long term," read a message on Sharma's wall on Facebook.

Several students from his school in Dhanbad proudly set their status on Facebook saying: "The man behind striking off "AAA" ratings of US is a Nobilian from Dhanbad." Sharma did his schooling from De Nobili School in the coal belt district of Dhanbad.

Sharma and his brother Ravi studied at De Nobili School, Dhanbad. It was on the request of their father, R N Sharma, once chairman of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd and then of Coal India that De Nobili School opened its first branch school, in Sijua, the website of the school said when Sharma was appointed president of S&P in 2007. "It is indeed a good news. I still remember Deven. He was a wonderful student," the school website had quoted one of the oldest servicing teacher at the school as saying. "Awesome personality," said another another message on Facebook.

But along with praise Sharma has been at the receiving end on cyber space as well. "The S&P and Deven Sharma want to destroy your wealth and future," read message on Twitter. "Now waiting for the US to make the downgrading a racist issue," said another post. "The most important man on Earth not the Pope, not Obama, not even Putin .... He is Deven Sharma, president Standard & Poor's," wrote Philo Ribeiro on Twitter.

But there were some harsh words from Indian Americans as well. "This Deven Sharma has really spoilt it for the rest of the Indians and the great American dream. He just made the Americans hate us more," a post on Twitter said.