India would arrange for a dialogue between Sri Lanka and LTTE to stop the hostilities in the island nation if the government suspended military operations against the Tigers and the outfit laid down arms, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Sunday night.

"If this fructifies, the union government will arrange a dialogue between the two warring parties," he told a public meeting at Mylapore in Chennai.

He said the situation in the island nation would not have reached such a grave stage had the LTTE utilised the 48-hour window period given by Sri Lanka recently to allow civilians to move to safer areas.

He pointed out that India cannot directly interfere in the war against the LTTE, as demanded by some, since the country had itself not held talks with militant outfits in the North-East and Kashmir, who had refused to give up arms.

"This fact has been understood only by the DMK, Congress and AIADMK in the state," he said, adding that PMK leader Dr S Ramadoss and Viduthulai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Tol Tirumavalavan (pro-Eelam parties) should also try to see this viewpoint.

Chidambaram opined that the LTTE would have got political status long back had they accepted the 1987 India-Sri Lanka accord.