PANAJI: Abishek Clifford, who believes youngsters should be told contraceptives can be 25% ineffective, marrying as virgins leads to happy marriages, homosexuality is a perversion caused by prolonged viewing of pornography , and abortion is a scientific word for murder, was allowed to interact with students in high schools, higher secondary schools and colleges across Goa over the last seven weeks.

When questioned, the directorate of education, in whose premises at Porvorim Clifford and his Mysore-based organization, Rescue, held a press conference on Thursday, sought to disassociate itself from the group.

“May be climate change is god’s way of telling us to stop abortions,” Clifford told reporters, even as he let it be known that he had interacted with 5,500 students across Goa. He provided photographs of his interactions with a group he identified as counsellors working in schools.

He said he spoke to students in schools about cyber ethics, to discourage the watching of pornography. He then went on to say, “As one keeps watching porn, it no longer gives them the same kick and they turn to homosexual relations. In India, homosexuality is illegal, but people go outside the country and get married, they come back and openly live as homosexuals and not one takes any action against them.”

He also provided photographs of a session held by his organization at a North Goa church.

Clifford’s presentation, which he said was also shown to youngsters in educational institutes in Goa, and that were distributed among media persons, takes a conservative stand about abortions and speaks against them and about the benefits of being pro-life.

Education director Anil Powar sought to distance himself from the organization. “He did come to me, and they did not go to schools through us. Maybe the schools allowed them to make the presentations. We only gave them our premises for the media interaction as they said they needed it. A lot of people come to us with many offers that they say will enhance life skills of students, etc, but associating with them is entirely different.”

Aldina Gomes, psychologist, said, giving out wrong information while conducting an awareness programme for youngsters is completely unethical. “This leads to conflict in the child’s mind and is worse. Children are vulnerable and they believe what they are told by an authoritative figure. Abortion is a choice that people make. Homosexuality has been proven to be biological to a large extent by research and is no longer considered a perversion. Whenever awareness programmes are conducted, the organization should come out openly saying that they belong to so and so organization and not mislead youngsters.”