Manama: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Bahrain’s moderation and peaceful coexistence status in a tweet. “Bahrain is a model of religious moderation and peaceful coexistence where Mahatma Gandhi’s principles are embodied. The walls of Arad Fort were chanted with Noor singing,” Narendra Modi posted in Arabic.

Modi then posted a link and invited his more than 44.3 million followers to watch a video of “a famous Bahraini singer trained in Arabic and Carnatic Music” sing ‘Vaishnava Jana To’.

Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa responded to the tweet in both Arabic and English and invited Modi to attend a concert by the Bahraini singer at the same venue.

“We are proud of Bahrain’s long and rich heritage of moderation and peaceful coexistence. I hope you can see her soon in person at a special concert at Arad Fort,” Prince Salman, who also holds the position of First Deputy Prime Minister, tweeted.

Written by the 15th century poet Narsingh Mehta in Gujarati, the bhajan (devotional song) centres on human empathy and sensitivity towards the suffering of others.

Bahrain has regularly won international accolades for its status as a moderate country characterised by a socially open and culturally pluralistic society.

According to the latest figures, people from 161 countries live in Bahrain.