ABSTRACT
The poor and deprived in Asia are by and large a neglected and forgotten lot. If their voices were heard and heeded, their situation could be improved; however, rapid expansion of their capabilities – to use Sen’s (1984) terminology – would require a major reorientation of development priorities toward the poor and deprived and a correct discovery of their needs through a participatory process, which would require squarely addressing Sen’s “agency” issue.2
