Biratnagar, May 2 -- As Nepal marks May Day, the international day celebrating workers' rights, attention turns once again to a modest chautari in Biratnagar-a historic platform that laid a foundation in the country's labour movement.

Near the eastern edge of the country's oldest industrial establishment, the Biratnagar Jute Mill, this quiet resting place holds a significant place in Nepal's political history. It was from here that the country's first organised labour movement began, sowing the seeds of a larger democratic revolution.

"The seed planted on this very platform later grew into the massive tree of democratic movement," said Krishna Pokharel, a professor of political science and long-time resident of Biratnagar. "That seed wa...