India's geopolitical clout tested in Maldives-Mauritius rift over Chagos

Island nations vie for archipelago, including Diego Garcia, home to US-UK military base

India fears the tussle between the Maldives and Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago could open the door for China in the Indian Ocean. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images and U.S. Navy/AP)

COLOMBO -- A legacy of British colonization has surfaced to rock India's diplomatic strategy in the string of island nations in the Indian Ocean, as two of them, the Maldives and Mauritius, have severed diplomatic ties with each other over a territorial dispute.