Gandhi Warns of Superpower Rivalry

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi said Friday the growing rivalry among superpowers to increase their military presence in the Indian Ocean threatens the countries in the region.

Gandhi, who is visiting the tiny Indian Ocean atoll republic of the Maldives 500 miles southwest of India, said the rivalry has continued despite Indian efforts to keep the ocean a neutral zone, the Press Trust of India reported.

India, as a leader of the non-aligned countries, has long campaigned to keep the region free of nuclear weapons and foreign bases.

The largest base in the area is the U.S. naval station on the British island of Diego Garcia. The Soviet Union has access to ports farther north in Marxist-ruled South Yemen, currently disrupted by a military takeover.