Hundreds of people held demonstration in central Bamyan Province against what they called as discriminative statistic of Bamyan residents released by Afghanistan Central Statistics. According to report released by the center, the total number of the province's residents are only more than 350 thousands. Previously, the figure was harshly rejected by Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, the leader of People Unity Party of Afghanistan, saying that only children registered for polio vaccination were around 200 thousands.

So, just considering these children have no brothers and sister, only summing them with their parents increases the number released by Central Statistics. Talking with news agencies, some were questioning the method used, saying they were never asked about their family members and no one came to their houses to find out the quantity of their families.

Population has always been a controversial issue in the country. Still there is no accurate data about the total population. Perhaps, it would not have caused similar demonstration if such figure released by any source about Kabul population. Many are of the view that no one may care that a source comes and allege a particular number about the population of Kabul, because Kabul has changed into a city where all different tribal and ethnic groups live.

Here it makes no difference for Kabul residents that a source like Center for Statistics comes and claims that total population is around three million not more than four million as many maintain. It is different in the case of many other provinces.

However, perhaps there is no province where only a particular ethnic group lives but generally provinces demarcate communities in majority. This is what causes the problem. The provinces are divided among ethnic groups. And the political system is designed in such a manner that unintentionally puts the issue of population on the top.

Parliamentary seats are divided among provinces in proportion to population of the province. There are individuals who remained behind parliament doors while their votes were far larger than some of those who became MP's. Giving a lesser figure from actual population can indeed terribly lessen people's share of political power and public budget and services.

If this issue is put along to sensitive communal differences, then it looks quite natural for residents of Bamyan to protest and ask for authentic and responsible census.